


To Save A Kingdom

by IAmAshamedOfMyFanfics (faraandmera)



Series: The ones where people voted on the results [4]
Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Fictional Kingdoms, Gen, Minho and Felix are cousins because someone had to be, Underground Cities, but theoretically with less death?, dont worry about the series none of the stories in it are related, i have never known how to tag anything in my entire life, i have not used archive warnings bc even i dont know if theyll apply or not, only two of them are royalty, some interactive elements (voting), they're just all the stories with voting mechanics in them, yep im back at this again
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-03-14
Packaged: 2019-10-26 17:11:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 24,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17750054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faraandmera/pseuds/IAmAshamedOfMyFanfics
Summary: When the rulers of the kingdom are assassinated- the culprits quickly taking over the castle- the one and only prince of the kingdom- one Yang Jeongin- escapes with his two retainers, and manages to make it as far as the kingdom's edge, before running into a road block. Those associated with the culprits have set up barricades, at the kingdoms edge, to hunt him down. As the last remaining member of the royal family, if he escapes somewhere they can’t reach, he can reclaim his position, rightfully. If he makes it to the neighboring kingdom, of which his friend and trusted ally is the prince, he’ll be safe.The only way to do that is to make it through the underground city, in the three remaining days until the culprits fully take over, and lock down the kingdom entirely. Jeongin needs to make it out, and into the neighboring kingdom, before it’s too late.





	1. Three Days Remain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just ended another story and yet here I am  
> my wips? uh...whom?

The small, but peaceful, kingdom of Tysas is well known for two things. Its large spreads of empty land, and its underground city near the edge of the kingdom. The city, built during preparation for a disaster that never happened, has become a known place of trade and tourism. Because of this, it’s nearly always overflowing with people, and it’s hard to notice if one or two people who aren’t meant to, slip past it.

When the rulers of the kingdom are assassinated- the culprits quickly taking over the castle- the one and only prince of the kingdom- one Yang Jeongin- escapes with his two retainers, and manages to make it as far as the kingdom's edge, before running into a road block. Those associated with the culprits have set up barricades, at the kingdoms edge, to hunt him down. As the last remaining member of the royal family if he escapes somewhere they can’t reach, he can reclaim his position, rightfully. If he makes it to the neighboring kingdom, of which his friend and trusted ally is the prince, he’ll be safe.

The only way to do that is to make it through the underground city, in the three remaining days until they fully take over and lock down the kingdom entirely. Jeongin needs to make it out, and into the neighboring kingdom, before it’s too late.

There are three more days.

Jeongin and his retainers- Woojin and Chan- enter the underground city worse for wear. Traveling from the capital- which is nearly at the center of the kingdom- to the edge took it’s toll. Especially due trying to hide from anyone who may have recognized him, during that time.

“Now what?” He finds himself asking, once they’re underground. The city is large; large enough that it will take at least two of their days to cross, and that’s not accounting for any time they might have to waste avoiding those who would turn Jeongin over to someone who want him dead.

“First we should look for anyone with a map, or directions, so we know where we’re going.” Chan’s words make sense, but Jeongin isn’t enthusiastic about it, anyway. If he was honest: he’s exhausted. He’d much rather rest, than seek out directions or continue traveling. He doesn’t say as much, because he knows what he has to do, but that doesn’t stop him from thinking it.

“Shouldn’t we at least find food, first? Starving isn’t going to help any of us escape, especially if we end up needing to run,” Woojin says, frowning in thought. That wasn’t incorrect, either. If they were both exhausted _and_ starving, there was no way they would escape.

“Right, you have a point.”

“We can find someone selling food, and ask them for directions,” Jeongin adds, finally rejoining the conversation.

“Oh, right, we might as well try.”

So they have their first goal.

 

News about Tysas royal family being assassinated reaches the neighboring kingdom surprisingly quickly. Seungmin is in the midst of a tutoring session when the news reaches him, in the capital of his own kingdom. His gut twists with worry, immediately, upon the realization that nobody knew what happened to Jeongin. He could assume, then, that the other likely fled. But, in that case, Jeongin would need somewhere else to go, and he could only assume he knew where.

They had to make preparations to take the other in. In fact- they should send someone, at least, to try and meet him partway. His parents, however, aren’t so eager to do so. Worried it might seem strange, or raise suspicion, if they sent people of their own to Tysas. Seungmin doesn’t agree, necessarily, but he understands. So he comes up with another plan.

“Let me go. My face isn’t public, yet, so no one will notice.” Unlike Tysas, which is small enough that most people surface-side would recognize the prince, his own kingdom’s people hardly knew what Seungmin looked like. He nearly never left the castle and ended up getting recognized. It was even less likely that someone in Tysas would recognize him, then.

“We can’t send you on your own,” they argued, but Seungmin was prepared for that.

“Minho and Jisung can go with me.” The two- technically guards, but basically his retainers- were too well trusted by his parents, for them to have any arguments.

The three set out, within the day. Minho’s cousin is a citizen of the neighboring kingdom, of the underground city at it’s edge, so their first plan of action is to reach him.

 

The kingdom is in disarray, and the underground city more so, still. It was normally chaotic and hard to navigate, but with _those people_  walking around- searching for signs of the missing prince- and all the worried tourists, it was more so. It makes a simple trip to the market, and back home, a nightmare. By the time Hyunjin returns to the inn his family runs, he’s already exhausted for the day.

“You’re finally back.” Changbin- a member of the staff, taken in recently- takes bags of food away from Hyunjin, who’s relieved to finally let go of them.

“It’s complete chaos, out there.”

“Like that’s shocking?”

“No, but it is annoying.” A pause, while Hyunjin starts helping Changbin sort through the bags to put things away. “By the way, where’s Felix?”

“He said he was mailing a letter.”

“To who?”

“His cousin, I think? The one living in next-door’s capital.” Changbin shrugs. “Did you buy flour?”

“I took a list with me, what do you take me for?” Hyunjin looks through the bags, until he locates the flour in question. “Here. Do you think he’s worried this is having an effect there, too?”

“Maybe.”

 

Mailing a letter, when living in the underground city, was a struggle and a half, normally. Doing so when so many people were freaking out about recent events made it all the worse. The already-crowded streets of the city are near-suffocating. Still, Felix has the letter in the hands of the postage company in only an hour more than originally anticipated. Whatever was happening in Tysas, he worries has traveled over to the neighboring kingdom, too.

 _“First we should look for anyone with a map, or directions, so we know where we’re going.”_ The voice is familiar, somehow. Felix is pretty sure he’s heard it, and it holds the tell-tale tones of someone originally from the underground city, too. He turns towards the voice and- right- he recognizes that face. A former neighbor who left to Tysas capital years prior. There are two others with him, one of whom Felix doesn’t recognize at all and the other-

The other is the missing prince of their kingdom, no doubt. He worries, immediately, that the other is so obvious. And then he worries about the fact he, himself, has seen the other. Should he tell someone? Should he go to them and offer help?

“Shouldn’t we at least find food, first? Starving isn’t going to help any of us escape, especially if we end up needing to run.” The unfamiliar one speaks.

“Right, you have a point.”

“We can find someone selling food, and ask them for directions,” the prince adds.

“Oh, right, we might as well try.”

Felix could help them with that, if they needed. Worked at an inn that was easy enough to hide out in, and served good enough food to be helpful. They owned maps, too, as many of their guests needed them. But, would that put the inn, itself, in danger? It wasn’t his, nor his family’s, and he wasn’t sure what side of the kingdom’s current conflict Hyunjin’s family was on.

Still, should he go offer help, anyway?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all know how this goes. Should Felix **Offer help** or **Ignore them**  
>  this isnt like a trick vote, more so just me wanting an excuse to put a vote in the first chapter, ha  
> no set MC in this one, unless you count Jeongin?  
> so we can follow whoever, whenever.
> 
> Oh also Tysas is Stays. like, it's an anagram.


	2. Offering Help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Of all the things Changbin might have expected Felix to bring back to the inn- customers or stray animals- the missing prince of their kingdom was definitely not on that list. Yet, here he is, bringing the prince- and presumably two of his guard- in through the staff entrance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The vote was: offer help!  
> unsurprisingly.

There was absolutely no way Felix could just ignore them. The kingdom’s fate might head on a dark path, if something happens to them, and Felix can’t imagine leaving them to whatever _those people_  had planned for them, if they were found. With that in mind, he decides. He’s going to offer them help. Then, at least, he can say he tried.

 

They’re seconds away from setting off in search of food, as decided, when someone approaches them. Jeongin, instinctively, shuffles behind Woojin in a poor attempt to hide his face. As if whoever it was wouldn’t have already been able to see it.

“Excuse me,” they start, voice soft, trying not to draw too much attention, “but you guys need help, right?”

“Uh- no, we’re fine,” Woojin’s response is entirely unconvincing. Jeongin doesn’t know what the point of it is, either. Would pretending they were fine aid them any? Or did he just hope not to make them look unprepared. But they were under-prepared. Could anyone have been prepared for what happened?

Jeongin shakes his head, and the thoughts away with it. He’d rather not think about what happened- to his parents, to his siblings- that left him trying to escape his own kingdom, the only remaining member of the royal family.

“Wait…” Chan frowns at the stranger, as if considering something. “Felix?”

“Oh! You recognized me, too.” The stranger- Felix- nods, surprise evident on his face. “Yeah, it’s me.”

“Do you think we can trust him, Chan?” Woojin whispers to the other, though Jeongin wouldn’t be surprised if Felix could still hear.

“I think so?” Then, Chan turns back to Felix. “What’s this about help?”

“I work at an inn, and I heard you guys talking about needing a map, and food, both of which they have. The owners are out, right now, above ground. And I don’t think any of the staff would turn you in, if they noticed.”

“I don’t know-”

“Okay.” Jeongin moves out from behind Woojin. Out of instinct- manner classes forgotten because of the situation- he takes one of Felix’s hands in both of his own. “Thank you. Please show us to this inn.”

“Uh- right, okay.” Felix nods, seeming startled. He takes a step back, then motions them to follow as he walks. “By the way- uh- your highness?”

“Yeah?”

“Shouldn’t you cover your face?”

“We were… in a bit of a rush.” Making it from the capital, to the underground city, was usually a four day trip. They made it in less than one, only due to not sleeping or otherwise properly resting, and taking paths usually deemed to dangerous. They hadn’t the time to take more precautions.

“Maybe we can help you with that, too.” A pause. “By the way, what are you three going to do, anyway?”

There’s a silence, as they walk. The sounds of crowded streets- main paths that Felix seems to be helping them avoid- the only thing keeping it from feeling entirely awkward. Could they really tell him? Trust him with that information?

“We have to get out of the kingdom,” Jeongin finally says, simply. Offers no further details, aside from that. Felix nods, understanding.

“I wish I had known, before I sent out that letter,” Felix’s muttering doesn’t seem directed at any of them, but more to himself. “Maybe Minho could have helped.”

“Your cousin?” Chan asks, the only one who recognizes who Felix is talking about. Vaguely, Jeongin wonders how the two knew each other, to start with. He knew Chan was originally from the underground city- he was the first person from it to get a position in the castle- but not much about his life outside of that.

“Yeah! Apparently he’s a guard, now? He lives in the capital, but doesn’t tell me much about his actual job. I think he’s not allowed to tell me about it.”

If he wasn’t allowed to talk about his job, but worked as a guard in the capital, Jeongin could assume what his job actually was. He must work more directly with the royal family, probably at the castle. Why he wouldn’t have told his cousin at least that much, Jeongin doesn’t know, but it was safe to assume that he could have helped, were they able to contact him. Unfortunately, there was no way a letter would reach him in time.

 

Jisung and Minho’s idle conversation fills the space, as they reach Tysas’ border. They can see, from a distance, that guards have been set up around the edge of the kingdom, but Seungmin fills we dread of who those guards are likely working for. They quiet, quickly, and realize they have to make a choice. They need to get into the underground city, first, but once they did, leaving was the real issue. There were multiple entry points, of course, and the less used of those most likely had weaker security, but would that still be the case, when they tried to leave?

“So, what should we do?” Jisung brings his horse to a stop, and Seungmin and Minho follow suit. They’ve likely been seen, already, but so long as they remain too far to hear, they don’t have to worry about the guards. Not yet.

“We can go further south; there’s an entrance there that’s basically unused.” Minho frowns, despite his own words. “Problem is: if Jeongin is trying to escape through the city, he’ll probably miss it, and we’ll miss him.”

“If he escapes, without our help, then it would be fine,” Seungmin says. “I’m more concerned with us not raising any more suspicion than we already have, just by being here. Let’s head south.”

“First,” Jisung stops them, reaching to pull out a map. “That guard watching would think we were up to something, if we just suddenly changed course.”

“So, we’re lost?” Minho jokes, and Jisung nods.

“Yep.”

“Poor, lost, tourists,” Seungmin says, Only for Minho to laugh at him.

“Speak for yourself, I’m a native.”

“Didn’t you leave when you were like three?”

“Okay, but I’ve been here often enough, alright.”

 

Of all the things Changbin might have expected Felix to bring back to the inn- customers or stray animals- the missing prince of their kingdom was definitely not on that list. Yet, here he is, bringing the prince- and presumably two of his guard- in through the staff entrance.

“Felix, what the _hell?_ ”

“They need help!”

“So you brought them here?!” Changbin glances shortly at the group, and then back to Felix. Ignores the worry on the group’s face. “What if someone saw them?”

“So what _should_  I have done?” This get’s pause, and Changbin finds himself sighing, resigned to the situation. Felix had a point; there wasn’t much else he could have done, other than ignore them. Which, Changbin figures, would be worse. Still, how will they explain this to the rest of the staff? To Hyunjin, who was acting manager while his parents are surface-side?

“Changbin, what are you yelling about now- oh.” Speaking of, there was Hyunjin. He’s holding keys, presumably having come from the front of the inn, and has frozen entirely upon seeing their _guests_.

“Uh-”

“Hyunjin, I need your help,” Felix speaks, quickly. Hyunjin nods, slowly, and then places the keys he’s holding down on a counter. With a heavy sigh, Hyunjin fully enters the room, and closes the door behind him.

“Please explain.”

Felix’s explanation is given far more simply than Changbin would have expected to be possible. The kingdom's prince needs a map, food, and some way to hide his face. Then he can leave, and everyone else present can pretend that they knew nothing. The owners would never know, so could claim they had never done anything were anyone on the other side of this conflict to ask. Changbin is convinced, easily enough, but he knows his opinion on the matter isn’t the deciding factor.

“If you’re trying to murder me via stress, you’re doing quite the job,” Hyunjin says, shaking his head. “Alright, let’s take them upstairs, so none of the other staff see them. Changbin, can you get them food?”

“Sure.” Changbin nods, setting to his task immediately.

“Felix take them- uh, where would be good? Take them to one of the reserved rooms? I think the fourth one is free until the end of the week, so that should be fine.” Then, Hyunjin turns to the prince, himself. “Besides something with a hood, for your face, do you need anything else?”

The prince glances down at himself, frowning. He looks worse for wear, likely the result of fleeing the capital, and Changbin would be surprised if that didn’t bother him. Still, he shakes his head.

“I’m okay. A few days like this wont kill me.” Though he’s trying to joke, the words fall flat. That might not kill him, but there was plenty else just waiting for the chance. Hyunjin seems at a loss for how to respond, so Changbin speaks.

“Well, do you have any food preferences?”

At that, the other’s expression lights up, and he nods. His requests are surprisingly normal; nothing overly fancy or that Changbin doesn’t recognize. It’s a lot, that he asks for, but otherwise it’s the kind of thing Changbin would expect from any of their other guests. Simple stuff, that even Felix could be trusted with- though Felix is banned indefinitely from the kitchen- and that Changbin nods and says he can do.

“Thank you,” Jeongin says, and the sentiments are repeated by the other two. With that, Felix takes them upstairs, and Changbin properly gets to work. Hyunjin pauses, standing there without moving on to his own task.

“Is this going to be okay?”

“You could have made them leave,” Changbin says, not facing Hyunjin.

“I couldn’t.”

“Well, it should be fine. At worse, they’ll have to run, and we can claim we didn’t know. Us _underground-folk_  hardly know what the royal family looks like. That’s surface people’s concern.” Hyunjin laughs at that.

“Right, of course.” Then he goes off to his own task, while Changbin continues his.

 

The room Felix leads them too is surprisingly small, but perhaps that’s just the bias of someone who’s grown up in a castle. Felix leaves them there, saying he’s going to get them a map, and the group sits in silence, for a moment, before conservation breaks out.

“We can’t stay here long,” Chan says, frowning. “We don’t have much time.”

“We’ll leave once we’ve got food, and a map. I don’t want to put them in any more danger than we already have, by being here.” Woojin’s words get a nod from Chan.

“Not a second later.”

“When this is over,” Jeongin starts, gaining their attention, “I’ll have to do something for them.”

“That’s not something to worry about just yet.”

“I know. First I have to get out of the kingdom.” Jeongin sighs, flops down onto the bed in the room, and mutters. “Wake me when food is here.”

“Sure.”

It is not Chan or Woojin that wakes Jeongin, but the inn’s acting manager. Hyunjin, he thinks? Wakes him with clear hesitance, and then motions to where Woojin and Chan have both passed out, leaning against one of the room’s walls, as explanation.

“You three must have been exhausted.”

“We didn’t sleep, since-” Jeongin shakes his head. “We were awake since the capital.”

“I see.” Hyunjin seems to consider something, for a moment, before speaking. “You’re welcome to rest here, if you need to, before you leave.”

“We don’t really have time.”

“A few hours now, could save you your life, later.” Hyunjin moves to wake the other two. “Changbin and Felix are bringing your food, now. We left everything else on the table.”

Jeongin glances at the end table, at his side. There’s map, set on top of a small pile of folded clothes. “Thank you.”

Changbin and Felix arrive just as Woojin and Chan finally wake up. Once they’ve handed the food off to Jeongin, Woojin, and Chan, the inn staff once again leave them on their own. Jeongin ignores the conversation Woojin and Chan have over the food, to focus entirely on said food. The first thing he’s really eaten, since the whole thing started.

“Jeongin you’re going to make yourself sick, if you eat that quickly.”

“I’m not a baby,” Jeongin mutters, frowning, “I know how to eat food, _thanks_.”

Chan sighs, shaking his head, and turns back to Woojin. “For us to get out of here safely, we might want to take one of the less used routes out of here.”

“But even with a map, we wouldn’t know which those are.”

“We can asks, before we leave.”

“Alright.”

“Someone circled something on the map,” Jeongin adds, motioning to the folded piece of paper. He can see the circles, on the part that’s visible, and doesn’t doubt there’s more. Seeing this, Woojin takes the map and unfolds it.

“Oh, a few of the exits are circled.”

“Think they beat us to that thought?” Chan leans forward, to get a look at it himself.

“Maybe. We’ll ask on our way out.”

 

Minho hasn’t actually been in the underground city in nearly four years. He used to visit it more regularly, to see family, but that had stopped when he was moved the castle. When he started working directly with the royal family, it became a risk for him to leave the kingdom on his own. Thus he hadn’t been back since. Anything that’s changed about it, he wont know, aside from the few things Felix has mentioned.

He’s aware the underground river has been blocked off, no longer publicly accessible. He’s aware the neighborhood he was born in is entirely gone, replaced by a market place. But anything else is beyond him. Minho is aware of the inn Felix works at, is aware of it’s general location and name, but that’s about it. So actually getting there isn’t a simple task, or a reasonable one.

“Then should we bother going all the way there? This city is big enough it would take days to reach, and by then it’ll be too late to come back and leave,” Seungmin says, after Minho has explained this.

“How about we find a part-way point to stay at, and send him a letter? Our priority is finding out what the situation here is, and if anyone has seen Jeongin. No offense, Minho, but if your cousin is too far, it might be better not to worry about him.”

“He lives close to the other entrance to the city, Seungmin.” Minho emphasizes Seungmin’s name, frowning. “If anyone saw Jeongin, it’s more likely someone near there would know.”

“Either way,” Jisung starts, stopping any further debate, “the first thing we should do is find somewhere to start our search. And get a map, while we’re at it, since Minho’s memory can’t be entirely accurate.”

“Right, fine.” Seungmin nods.

“My memory is fine; it’s the city that’s the problem.”

“Sure, you tell yourself that.” Jisung starts walking before Minho can respond.

 

Something is burning. Normally Hyunjin would suspect a guest ignoring their rules about smoking, or maybe Felix ignoring his ban from the kitchen. However, the smell of burning wood indicates it’s not from the kitchen, as that’s entirely built of stone- same as the exterior of the building- and usually guests would at least be in their room, if they were going to break rules. But the smell of burning can easily, quickly, be traced back to the entrance of the building.

Hyunjin nearly slams the door open, as he enters the entrance way. The door to the staff area creaks, threatening to crack, but that’s not his main concern. What is, is the people trailing into the building, one holding a torch far too readily in their hands. None of them appear to be from the underground city. The nearly sickly-pale most of its residents ended up with, as a result of the lack of sun, completely absent. 

“You can’t bring fire in here!” Hyunjin shouts without thinking. “Leave immediately.”

“Sure, sure.” One of them- presumably the leader of the small, but threatening, group- nods, but otherwise ignores Hyunjin’s request. Then, he turns to the stairs that lead to the rooms. “You wouldn’t happen to have any special guests, would you?”

Dread sets into his chest immediately, and Hyunjin fumbles for a response. They know. Someone must have seen Felix bring the prince to their inn, or something. “Special enough to warrant you bringing fire into my inn? No.”

“No… princes?”

“Of course not. Why would a prince be a guest here?” Hyunjin is surprised by his own ability to speak, as if he’s far calmer than he is.

“Well, we’ll just take a look, in case.” They wont take Hyunjin’s refusal, he realizes. They’re going to search, whether he lets them or not. They know, already, and Hyunjin can’t stop them, physically.

So what should he do? Let them find the prince and his retainers? No. He can’t do that.

At once, he process the situation. The one holding a torch drops it, at the front entrance, leaving only two ways out; through the back, staff entrance, and out of a window.

Felix is in the staff area, and there’s another set of stairs back there that lead up to the room. Theoretically, they could beat _those people_  upstairs and leave, but it’s more complicated than that. If Hyunjin goes back there, they’re bound to realize that’s the case, so he has to go ahead of them up the main stairs if he wants to do that. Then go from there.

Changbin is most likely upstairs, right now. They had other guests to tend to, obviously, and it was around the time of day they usually checked that everyone was okay, unless they specifically requested to be left alone. He would likely be able to reach the others, quickest, but that would mean telling him the situation, and then those people would definitely hear. Hyunjin would have to stall them, somehow, for that to work.

So, as Hyunjin sees it, he has two real options.

  1. Yell for Changbin to get them out, and try to stall the intruders himself. This would mean leaving everything to Changbin, honestly, and hoping.
  2. Or run upstairs, first, and get them out himself. Likely, he could yell for Changbin to warn Felix and the rest of the staff to also escape.



Hyunjin has approximately ten seconds to reach a decision, as the leader of the intruders starts walking towards the stairs. The fire has caught the wood interior of the building, now, so there isn’t time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should Hyunjin: **Try to Stall, and let Changbin handle the escape** or **Handle the escape himself, and Tell everyone else to leave**
> 
> now here's the first real choice. like, one that effects the ending, later.  
> also how are y'all feeling about the format of switching perspectives? usually i stick to one perspective, or only change between chapters, so this is new for me, too.
> 
> unrelated but sometimes i think of like 1 piece of dialogue that i wanna use, but have 0 idea what to do with it. today that piece is, "of the eight dumbest things you've ever said to me, all of them are from this conversation"
> 
> if you want something lower stress & stray kids & with super powers like the previous story (except not bc the powers are different) I started a series with the boys having super powers. there are already two (edit: 3) stories in it. (the series is called "Stray Superhero Kids")  
> also i keep mistyping stray as stary


	3. Escaping the Inn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There were a number of reasons Chan and Woojin had been assigned as Jeongin’s retainers. Like most retainers for the royal family, they were both fairly good at looking out for Jeongin’s general well being. Making sure he studied, making sure he ate properly, and so on. But, of course, they had another role. One as guards. So they had to be able to hold their own in a fight, in order to protect Jeongin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey so the vote was a tie and i waited quite a while going "eventually a third vote will happen" but it did not so uh............  
> i just chose the good-end option and went with that one. i considered randomizing it but i also uh.........want good things to happen so  
> i think that's how i'll handle ties, from now on? in stories like this one with good-end paths, at least.

There was a very real chance that they would easily, unwaveringly, overpower him, and not be stalled at all, if Hyunjin were to try an stall them. So, in the few seconds he has to think, he decides to handle the escape himself. Nearly jumps over the counter dividing where they kept the keys, from the rest of the entrance, and rushes towards the stairs.

“Hey wh-” the calls of the intruders go ignored as the stumbles up the stairs. Hyunjin shouts, as he makes his way past the other rooms.

“There’s a fire, everyone get out!” Hyunjin nearly runs directly into Changbin- who’s leaving another of the rooms- in his haste. Gives a quick, “ _get Felix and escape,_ ” before continuing. Whatever response Changbin might have given, he doesn’t have time. There are footsteps, following him, so he has to consider another plan. Out the window? Had they left anyone outside, in case he tried that?

No matter the case, it’s too late to change his mind.

 

Shouting makes Jeongin stop what he’s doing- looking over the map they were given, as they prepare to leave again- and turn towards the door. Hyunjin slams the door open, and then slams it closed not a second later. Pushes the end table in against its handle, as he speaks.

“Someone must have seen you, people are here- you have to _leave_.” Hyunjin turns to face them, and anxiety forces its way into Jeongin’s chest. Someone had seen them? Someone was _here_  looking for them, already?

Chan mutters a curse, gathering up the map, and pushing Jeongin towards the window. Woojin pulls the hood of Jeongin’s cloak- provided by Hyunjin, earlier- over his face. Something slams into the room’s door, shoving the end table and Hyunjin forward. The latter hits the floor, harshly, and the door is forced partially open. Then more open as Chan throws the window open. Woojin and Chan share a look, while Jeongin tries to figure out what they’re actually going to do. They can’t just jump; they’d likely break something.

Then Woojin is climbing out of the window, and down the side of the inn. Chan, on the other hand, rushes to pull Hyunjin to his feet, and shove him in Jeongin’s direction. Woojin makes it the ground, just as a group of intimidating figures enter the room.

“Jump down, I’ll catch you!” Woojin’s voice forces Jeongin to turn away from the group.

“But-”

“We don’t have time!” There’s a desperation in his voice, that makes Jeongin act. To climb through the window and then, after a beat, jump out.

 

There were a number of reasons Chan and Woojin had been assigned as Jeongin’s retainers. Like most retainers for the royal family, they were both fairly good at looking out for Jeongin’s general well being. Making sure he studied, making sure he ate properly, and so on. But, of course, they had another role. One as guards. So they had to be able to hold their own in a fight, in order to protect Jeongin.

Thus, Chan isn’t really scared of the people in front of him. Doesn’t find them particularly threatening- can tell, already, that they aren’t trained, likely just hired muscle- even despite their numbers. More so, he’s worried. Worried that Jeongin and Woojin wont get out quick enough. Worried about the trouble they’ve caused the staff.

When the intruders attack, Chan takes the defensive. He has a weapon- a sword, as most royal guard carried- but his main concern is that they don’t get past him, rather than fighting them. He could, but if he attacks he also risks one of them sneaking past. Instead, he tosses the map- crumpled up from Chan taking it from Jeongin- to Hyunjin.

“Please go with them.” The words are spoken without Chan looking at the other, as he stops a swing of one of the intruder’s axe from hitting him. Still, he hears a small, “ _okay_ ,” in response that immediately fills him with relief. “Thank you.”

 

There’s this old inn, an hour past a market place that was formerly the neighborhood Minho was born in, where an old woman who used to babysit him and Felix works. While it’s not much to go on, he hopes that by finding her, he can find a quicker way to contact Felix, or at least that she’ll have information that might be helpful. The other two aren’t entirely convinced.

Seungmin has gone along with this idea, despite this, because he has no better plans. Jisung, on the other hand, seems to be going along with it mostly because Seungmin is, and he’s technically their boss.

“Are we sure we have time for this?” Jisung asks for what must be the hundredth time.

“Do you have a _better_  plan, Jisung?”

“Just asking the locals?”

“If we start asking around randomly, someone is bound to get suspicious.”

“He has a point,” Seungmin says, frowning as they walk down the stone streets. “If someone realizes who we are, or what we’re here for, it could make things more difficult for- uh- who we’re looking for.”

“Sure, I get that, but if we don’t make any progress, we’re just insuring _we_  are the one’s trapped here, while things go badly for the kingdom. What if we get trapped here and someone finds out who Seungmin is? Then they have a bargaining chip even _if_  that-person escapes.”

“Then we can hurry up this plan, and then maybe split up?”

“Is that a good idea?” Minho asks, frowning. “What if something happens to you? We’re supposed to be your guards-”

“I’ll be fine; nobody knows who I am, anyway.”

“It’s like he didn’t listen to that entire conversation,” Jisung mutters, frowning.

 

Changbin practically drags Felix out of the building, without much explanation. Felix was trying to put out the fire downstairs, when he heard the shouting, and he stumbles trying to keep up with Changbin. “What’s going on-”

“Someone saw the prince.”

Realization- horrible, and gut twisting- settles in, and Felix follows silently until they’re outside. Then, he speaks. “Where’s the window to their room? They’ll probably leave that way.”

“Around back.” Felix nods, at that, and heads in that direction. He doesn’t expect Changbin to follow, not really, but he hears the other’s footsteps despite this. When they make it there- past other staff and guests who escaped the building likely out of windows of their own- nobodies there. The window is open, there’s change apparently fallen from pockets and left behind, but no signs of the others.

“Do you think they escaped already?”

“If they did-” Felix shakes his head. Could they have? Sure, they had between whenever Changbin found out and found Felix, until the two made it back, but with someone hunting them, would that have been so simple? “What do we do?”

“I don’t know if there’s anything-”

“You two!” A voice- a familiar one- calls out to them. They turn, quickly, to find Chan dropping down from the window above. It’s _not_  the window of the room he and the others were in, however, though Felix has no idea why, nor the time to try and figure it out.

“Chan!”

“I need your help.”

“Of course.” Felix nods, immediately, while Changbin remains silent.

“Jeongin, Woojin, and Hyunjin have left, along with our map. I’m worried if I try to catch up with them, though, I’ll be seen, so… do you know where I could get another map, and- maybe- an alternate route to the exit we had chosen.”

“Which one?”

“Uh…”

“Right, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell me without a map, right?” Felix pauses, frowning. Where could they go? Another inn, probably, but he isn’t sure who they could get one from, that wouldn’t immediately turn them over to the same people that found them, this time.

“I have an idea,” Changbin says, to Felix’s surprise. Chan, on the other hand, just nods, waiting for said idea. “We can get another map at an inn, further into the city. Felix- uh- that lady who used to take care of you and your cousin works at one, right? I doubt she’d turn you over to anyone.”

“Right! That’s perfect!” Felix nods, before turning back to Chan. “Okay, I can lead you there. It’s further into the city- maybe half a day? But I doubt the others are just going to stay around here, waiting, so they’ll probably make it at least that far.”

“Okay, lead the way.”

 

To say this isn’t the situation Hyunjin expected to be in, would be a horrible understatement. His family’s inn is burning down, and he’s following a prince and his retainer around. They likely didn’t need him, as they had a map and a plan, but he can’t bring himself to just leave them on their own. Beside the fact that he’s probably angered their enemies enough to also be a target, by helping them, the other of the retainers had asked him to go with them.

“What’s the quickest path, though?” Woojin mutters, looking over the crumpled map. “If we take this road- no we’d be too obvious.”

As Woojin mumbles considerations to himself, Jeongin falls into step next to Hyunjin. When he speaks it’s quiet, hesitant. “I’m sorry about your inn.”

“It’s-” not _fine_ , that would be a lie, Hyunjin shakes that thought away- “not your fault.”

“I’ll repay you, once I’m able.” Jeongin tugs at his hood, hiding more of his face than was already hidden. “Do you know what routs would be good to take?”

At the question, Hyunjin pauses. He turns to look at Woojin, a step ahead of them. Though Woojin seems preoccupied with the map, his posture is alert, ready in case something happens. Hyunjin turns back to Jeongin, and nods. “If you tell me where you’re trying to go, I probably can. I know at least this part of the city pretty well, and I remember enough of the other side to at least help make sense of the map.”

“Thank you.”

 

It takes half a day, to reach the other inn. The old woman- practically an extra parent- nearly immediately rushes the group inside, when she sees Felix. She speaks, in hushed tones, glancing back and forth as if worried someone’s watching. “What are you doing here?”

“I need help- but, wait, what’s wrong?”

“Minho was here, just a moment ago.” Her words startle Felix more than most anything else she said could have. Minho was here? Why? When had he gotten to the underground city? What would cause him to be there, when he was working in another kingdom’s capital? He hadn’t in the past four years; why now?

“What did he say?”

“He was with these two other boys, and they said they were looking for the _prince_. Wanted to ask you if you had heard anything, being on the edge of the city. We just sent a letter to the inn you work at.”

“They’re looking for Jeongin?” Chan’s voice is a startling reminder that he and Changbin are also there. “Why would your cousin be looking for him?”

“Wait doesn’t Minho live in next-doors capital?” Changbin asks, frowning. “How would he even know about this?”

“There isn’t-” Chan pauses, as if worried about saying what he’s about to- “there isn’t any chance he’s on _their_  side, is there?”

“No, of course not!” Felix’s response is immediate, but Chan continues to frown. “He’s a guard, and the neighboring kingdom is your ally, right?”

“Right…”

“Anyway,” Felix starts, turning back to the woman, “do you know who the other two were?”

“One said he was a guard, too, but the other wouldn’t tell me much. They said they would be back, in a few hours, to, “figure out their next step,” and went out to ask people what they’d heard.”

“Okay. Maybe we should wait for them, and tell them what’s going on?”

“I don’t have time for that.” Chan’s words are simple, decisive. “I need a map, and instructions, and to find Jeongin.”

“Oh, right, do you have a map?” Changbin is the one to speak, this time. He gets a nod, and she motions towards a table, nearby, where they presumably keep maps. Changbin moves to look for one, while Felix tries to decide what _he’s_  going to do.

Changbin could lead Chan nearly as well as he could. They didn’t _both_  need to go. He could stay, wait for Minho, and trade information with him. There was no way he was on the side of the kingdom’s enemy, Felix wouldn’t believe that, so he must be trying to help, too. Maybe he was sent by the neighboring kingdom? He had gotten a job important enough he wouldn’t talk about it, so Felix thought that must be it.

Then again, Felix knew that side of the city better than Changbin did. Had grown up there. While he wanted to see his cousin, it might be the better option to ask Changbin to take that job, and for Felix to lead Chan, himself. But, then, Minho didn’t _know_  Changbin. Was it possible he would refuse to share information, because of that? Was knowing Felix not enough to also have Minho’s trust?

“Felix?” Chan calls out to him, forcing Felix out of his thoughts. “Are you okay?”

“Thinking.”

“Oh.”

“I think- Minho might have information we don’t, so I don’t think we should ignore that he’s here.”

“I can’t stay here-”

“I know!” Felix shakes his head. “I have another idea.”

“Which is?”

Between staying himself, or having Changbin stay, which was the better option? “I think-”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> should felix **Stay behind** or **Ask Changbin to Stay behind**
> 
> choices choices. oh and i'll explain what happened with that missing part chunk of time for chan latter promise.
> 
> not stray kids but have y'all HEARD SF9's COMEBACK. MY BOYS. (and monsta x, too, actually)  
> also unrelated to literally anything but i've been listening to some groups i hadn't heard of before and up10tion and ONF have stolen my heart.


	4. Staying Behind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It would be easier, Felix thinks, to get information from Minho if he, himself, stays behinds. So he asks Changbin to go with Chan, while he does just that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey it's me back at it again with exclusively posting in the middle of the night/early morning what's up  
> the majority vote was for felix to stay behind!
> 
> unrelated but for some reason ao3 keeps setting my chapter publication dates to the date that i posted chapter 1 of this story and i have to manually change them to the current date, which had never happened with any of my stories before this one so it's really weird.

“I think I should stay here. Changbin-” Felix turns to the other, who nods- “can lead you. If Minho _does_  have information, then he’s more likely to share it with me.”

“Even if he does,” Chan starts, “will it be helpful by then?”

“Well…” Felix pauses, realizing he hadn’t fully considered that. “You two shouldn’t take a super direct path, or it would be obvious, so I can take a faster route, and meet you somewhere else.”

“Okay, where?”

“Changbin?” Changbin nods, holding out a map. “Okay, where’s good?”

“If we meet here,” Changbin motions to a spot on the map, close to the edge of the city, but not directly next to one of the exits, “then we’ll have plenty of time to catch up, without being so far that we risk not making it to the exit. That okay?”

Changbin looks to Chan, who nods, then Felix. “Yeah, that should work. I’ll stay here, you two can go.”

 

The path they're on isn’t very direct, and Hyunjin worries that this will be a problem, but it isn’t like they can go straight through the most used streets and expect no one to notice them. While Jeongin seems to have faith that their current pace, and path, will be okay, Woojin has seemed skeptical since Hyunjin began leading them. It’s understandable why, of course. Guarding a prince- and now doing so alone- is bound to have the other stressed. Still, after half a day of walking, Hyunjin can’t help but feel slightly offended at Woojin’s worried comments.

“Are you sure we’ll make it in less than another day, at this rate?”

“Yes,” Hyunjin repeats what he’s said too many times thus far. “Even if we need to take a short break, we’d still be fine.”

The not-so-subtle mention of a break goes ignored, when Jeongin speaks. “We made it this far, it’s too late to start doubting now.”

“Right, sorry…” Woojin shakes his head breathing a sigh.

They’d been walking non-stop, since leaving his inn, and it's starting to get to all of them. Hyunjin can’t even begin to imagine what traveling all the way from the capital without rest must have been like. In fact, they hadn’t gotten much rest since then, even after their time at his inn, had they? If it weren’t for the fact that his family’s inn- their entire life- had been burnt presumably to the ground, he’d feel more sympathetic. Hyunjin doesn’t blame them, specifically, but the situation is beginning to get to him.

“How far is it, exactly, to the city’s exit?” Jeongin asks, tugging at his hood for lack of some other distraction. Hyunjin turns around to face him, walking backwards. The emptiness of the alleyway, and Woojin’s alert watching for other people, makes him unconcerned.

“At this rate it would normally be another half a day, at least, if not an entire day. With the path we’re taking, and if we don’t stop: half a day, maybe? Or a little more. When we get close, we could always start running th-” Hyunjin jumps, when he runs into someone, cutting his sentence off. He spins around, while Woojin subtly moves to grab his weapon, and Jeongin steps back to hide behind Woojin. “Uh- sorry?”

“It’s fine.” The stranger raises both hands, dismissing Hyunjin’s apology. “I should have been paying more attention. Especially since- well- actually I’m looking for someone, maybe you’ve seen him?”

Dread fills Hyunjin, immediately. If this person is another threat, he's far too close. Would he be able to escape, if he needed? Woojin’s focus is- as it should be- on protecting Jeongin. Hyunjin’s safety isn't his objective, and if this person is a threat to the three of them, Hyunjin realizes quickly he’s the most likely to be left behind.

“It’s doubtful. I clearly haven’t been paying attention to the people around me,” Hyunjin says, hoping the other will just move on.

“Right, right.” The stranger nods, frowning. “Well maybe you’ve heard… no, never mind.”

“Heard?”

“Nothing, don’t worry about it.” There’s a sudden about of concern in the strangers tone. As they’ve realized they’ve said something wrong, and are trying to cover it up. “Well you seemed on your way somewhere? I’ll leave you to it.”

“Sure…”

There’s a pause, where the stranger doesn’t move, but does glance at the map in Hyunjin’s hand. The map with exits clearly circled, that Hyunjin only then realizes he’s holding in the open. In a moment of panic, he shoves it behind his back. The stranger, in turn, glances past Hyunjin, to Woojin and Jeongin.

“Jeongin?”

“No.” Jeongin’s response comes too quickly, too lacking confusion, to be believable.

“No- no, it’s me.” The stranger pushes Hyunjin aside, and motions towards himself. “Seungmin.”

“Oh.” A pause. “Wait- wait why are you _here_?!”

“To help you!”

“But you’re-” Jeongin stops, as if realizing whatever he was about to say, he shouldn’t. Hyunjin glances at Woojin, hoping the other will mirror his confusion, but Woojin’s relieved expression shows he knows who this person is, too.

“Uh- does anyone want to fill me in on what’s going on?”

 

Minho and Jisung return to the inn within the hour with no new information. Were it not for the fact that they _needed_  information, Minho would have felt smug about this. As it stood, however, he's just filled with worry. While the two of them had returned, Seungmin had yet to. They stood outside of the inn, waiting, but Seungmin is nowhere to be seen. He _knew_  splitting up was a bad idea- they both did- but Seungmin had insisted nobody knew who he was, so it would be fine. Now his two guards were left to be filled with concern, and nothing to go off of, to find him, other than that he was also searching in the general area nearby.

“Maybe… he got back first, and went inside?” Jisung’s suggestion is weak, lacking belief in it.

“Yeah, maybe.” Minho nods, despite also not thinking that’s the case. Heading inside, and checking, is better than standing, waiting, while nothing happened. “I’ll… go check.”

“Yeah, okay, I’ll wait here in case…”

“Okay.”

So Minho heads inside. Immediately makes his way back to the staff area, as he knew that was where Seungmin would be, if he were there, only to be met with a different, but familiar, face.

“Minho!”

“Wait- Felix? Why are you here, already?”

“There’s not time- uh- I met the missing prince, the inn I work at burnt down, the prince escaped and one of his retainers is with Changbin and heading for one of the city exits, but we have a meeting spot and-”

“ _Wait_ \- wait hold on.” Minho places both of his hands on Felix’s shoulders. “You met the missing prince? Jeongin?”

“Yes.”

“And he’s trying to escape, and you know where to?”

“Yes.”

“That’s more than I expected, but exactly what I needed.”

“Do you have any information-”

“Uh…no.” Minho shakes his head. “Except that if you know where the prince is going, and we meet him there, we can help him escape.”

“ _We_ meaning you and those people you were with?”

“Yeah-” Minho stops, remembering why he came into the inn in the first place. If Seungmin wasn’t back here, which he clearly wasn’t, then he's still out in the city. As much as finding Tysas’ prince was the reason he was here, his priority was- and still is- the prince he is meant to be guarding. “Sorry; anything about the missing prince has to wait, I have bigger concerns.”

“Bigger concerns?” Felix’s incredulous tone is expected, but not appreciated.

“Okay, come with me, I’ll fill you in.” Minho pulls Felix along, filling him in with the bullet points, while making his way back outside. He still has to tell Jisung about Seungmin still being missing.

 

From the time they leave the inn, Changbin and Chan travel in relative silence. The only words traded, really, are Changbin telling Chan they need to turn down another path. While Changbin wasn’t native to this side of the underground city, he knew enough from picking up supplies, that he only checked the map when he wasn’t certain about the next turn they needed to make.

The silence, though, is starting to bother him. While he knows they technically _are_ on the run, the feeling that settled in which made him remember this, is only aided by the silence, and he hates it. So, searching for something to say, he asks something that had been only his mind since they left the _first_  inn. “Hey, Chan?”

“Yes?”

“What happened, back at the inn? Ours, I mean.” _Ours_  meaning the one he worked at.

“Oh.” One word, but it clearly displays his want not to talk about it.

“Never mind, you don’t have to-”

“I stalled the attackers, and once I was sure Jeongin had escaped, incapacitated them.”

“Incapacitated?” The word feels strange. Was he just avoiding saying he’d killed them, or had he not?

“If they got out of the building, some of them could be alive. I wasn’t particularly focused on anything other than making sure Jeongin and Woojin, and then I, could get out.”

“Oh.” Changbin tries not to think too much about the fact that the staff and other guests weren’t a concern. It should be obvious they weren’t, due to Chan’s job, but being a member of said staff, Changbin can't help but feel uncomfortable about the response. Because of this, Changbin doesn’t have anything else to say. So the two fall back into silence.

 

Seungmin feels a strange amount of pride, in having found Jeongin, as he leads the group back to the inn he was meant to meet Minho and Jisung at. Now that he’d done that, they just have to escape. Though his presence is technically delaying them, slightly, in the end having extra guard can only come in handy, he thinks. This was his argument, when one of Jeongin’s retainers- Woojin- had said they didn’t have time to make any more stops.

“We have time,” the one leading them had said, backing Seungmin’s argument up. “Besides, he can help you get safely into the neighboring kingdom, right?”

“See, this kid gets it.”

“ _Kid?_  You _can’t_ be older than me.”

“Anyway,” Seungmin ignored the other, “one of my guard knows this place pretty well, too.”

So the group makes their way towards the inn, Jeongin at the center of the group. When they reach the inn, Seungmin immediately spots Minho and Jisung, mid-conversation. Next to them is someone Seungmin doesn’t recognize, and he pauses considering what the possible situations are. All his consideration is thrown out the window, when the one-who’s-name-Seungmin-doesn’t-know rushes forward.

“Felix!”

“Hyunjin! You made it out okay!” The other- Felix, apparently- meets who is apparently Hyunjin halfway. Then he looks past him, to the other three. “And you two! This is perfect.”

“Perfect?” Woojin asks, stepping forward with Jeongin close behind. Seungmin, too, follows after them.

“Seungmin!” Jisung is the first to notice him, and move to check if he’s okay. “You’re late.”

“I found who we were looking for.”

“I see that.”

“And that’s-” Seungmin pauses, motioning to Felix.

“Minho’s cousin, did you already forget his name?”

"Maybe."

“I think we all need to trade information,” Minho says, as he joins the group, “and start moving.”

 

Things seem to be going fairly well, if Jeongin had to judge them. He was beyond exhausted, from walking for more than half a day, as well as the journey that happened before that, but he’d met up with Seungmin- unexpectedly- and they knew where Chan was. Once they meet up with the latter, the group can leave the underground city, and the kingdom in turn, and Jeongin can finally _rest_. There are concerns- what were Felix, Hyunjin, and Changbin going to do? But all in all, this is a good sign.

There’s no sense of day or night, underground. They have no way to actually tell the time that’s passed, other than by keeping track of it themselves. Jeongin has a pocket watch- the only thing that came with him, when he escaped- that tells him, when he checks, that it’s night as they reach one of many residential areas. The group is too big, now, to be subtle, so they’ve taken to traveling more largely populated areas, and blending into the crowds. Woojin hasn’t let go of Jeongin’s arm, in what must be hours, and Minho and Jisung each flank one side of Seungmin.

Felix and Hyunjin lead the group, quietly debating the best route to take, with only occasional input from Minho. They’re making good progress. So of course, something goes wrong.

Minho seems to be the first to realize something is wrong, and he reaches out to pull Seungmin to a stop. Jisung reaches for a weapon, and Woojin follows suit, pulling Jeongin closer to himself. This happens too quickly, however, for the untrained- and unprotected- of the group to catch on, and Felix is violently pulled to the side by someone. Hyunjin, shocked, jumps back and nearly crashes into Minho. Minho pushes the other aside, taking a step forward.

“Well look at this group. All these people to protect one _prince_? Seems like a waste.” The stranger- attacker- holds up a knife, and Jeongin immediately understands the situation. Tries very hard not to think back to the castle- to his family- as a number of other people surround the group. At the very least, they don’t seem to have realized who Seungmin was, so Jeongin tried to focus on that positive, above all the bad this situation shows.

“They don’t know what they’re doing,” Jisung mutters, quiet enough that only their group can hear. Jeongin processes the words, trying to figure out what he means, but Minho and Woojin seem to understand immediately.

“So, let’s see,” The stranger- the one holding Felix, still, as well as knife- speaks. “How many of you are willing to sacrifice your lives for this?”

Jeongin feels sick to his stomach, wants to act, but Woojin grips his arm tighter, keeping him from doing anything. Not that he would get the chance. All at once, Hyunjin has shoved the map- folded and hiding it’s markings- at Seungmin, and practically tackled the stranger. Startled by how completely _horrible_  an idea this is, the stranger doesn’t react quickly enough, and hits the ground, Felix falling along with him. Then, everyone is moving. Seungmin and Woojin both move to pull Jeongin forward, past the front of the group surrounding them, while Minho moves towards his cousin and Hyunjin. Jisung follows the three running away, presumably because Seungmin is his main concern.

Jeongin realizes, far too slowly, that they’re going to abandon their guides, in exchange for his safety. Minho was a guard, so he might be able to hold his own, but with the other two unable to defend themselves properly, it might be too much. Jeongin turns to Seungmin, who is looking over his shoulder at them, and realizes Seungmin must have realized this too. Is there anything they can do? Their attackers are going to follow, so there's no way they’d be able to make any stops, now. Meeting up with Chan might still be possible, but they’d have to continue on to the exit, immediately. Anyone left behind would have to make their own plans, if they even live long enough to do so, and Jeongin wasn’t so sure that would be possible with just Minho not having come with them.

“Seungmin-”

“We can’t do anything.”

“Someone else can help them-”

“Who?! We don’t have anyone else.” Jeongin pauses at that, stumbling when Woojin pulls him to speed up in their running. Was that true? Jeongin glances back at Jisung, following the three of them, and then back to Seungmin.

 

Seungmin knows what Jeongin is going to say, before he does. That he’s going to suggest they tell Jisung to help the others, while they escape. Seungmin just isn’t sure if he can agree to that. After all, that would leave them with just Woojin as protection, until they reached Jeongin’s other retainer. Sure, Seungmin has some combat training, in order to protect himself in case he was alone, but he isn't confident in his abilities, if he were to try protecting someone else.

Still, his own guards were also is _friends,_  and Minho had been left behind, too. Could he accept that, as well?

“Jisung can help them.” Though he knew the words were coming, Seungmin still flinches when Jeongin stays them. Stumbles, as they run.

Minho is a good fighter, or else he would never had been made one of Seungmin’s personal guards.

Their attackers were hired muscle, but that didn’t mean they were properly trained. It was possible that Minho could handle himself, even while protecting the other two. That was what his job normally was, after all.

Then again, he was outnumbered, with two people to guard, and with nobody to help him. Could he handle that, on his own?

But if they sent Jisung to help, then they were leaving Woojin to protect Jeongin and Seungmin both. Seungmin could fight, but that didn’t mean he could protect someone else, if he needed.

But, then, could they really just leave the others to possibly die? Could Jeongin handle it, if he had done that _again_ , so soon after losing his family? Could Seungmin live with knowing he’d left one of his friends behind, like that?

But this is more _important_ than Seungmin and Jeongin’s feelings. The _kingdom itself_  is on the line. Jeongin is the only one left. If they don't properly protect him, there's no telling what would happen.

But- Seungmin’s panicked, debating, thoughts are cut off by Jeongin speaking. Jeongin, desperate, repeats himself. “Jisung can help them. Seungmin _please_.”

Jeongin can’t tell Jisung to go back, himself, because he isn’t there for Jeongin. If Seungmin doesn’t make the choice, Jisung wont go back for them. So Seungmin _has_  to choose- to take responsibility for that choice.

“Seungmin?” Jisung’s voice is loud enough to be heard over their footsteps and the distance between himself and the rest of them. Clearly he must have heard the discussion, because he has a too-familiar expression that shows he’s waiting for Seungmin to reach a decision. That says he’ll go along with what Seungmin decides, despite whatever his choice would normally have been.

There isn’t more time, they’ll be too far if he waits any longer, so he responds. Gives his answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should Seungmin **Tell Jisung to help the others** or **Tell Jisung to stay with the escaping group**
> 
> hey the cousins' reunited isn't that nice? oh wait-
> 
> When i started this chapter, i had no idea what the next choice would be, and then i got there and went "hey @me what the fuck"  
> anyway, i'm sorry? probably.
> 
> i dont know why but from a character prospective, this story is really difficult for me to write.
> 
> also i just realized, since tysas is an anagram for stays "tysas' prince" is "stays prince" and like....accurate


	5. Help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some of their attackers seem more experienced than others, but Minho's sure he can guard, at least, against them. However, he’s not so sure he can actually stop them, by himself. How long could he keep up guarding them, even?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im impatient so i went ahead and wrote this after only one vote  
> whoops  
> anyway sending jisung back was the vote

There are at least twelve people involved in the attack. Upon Jeongin, Woojin, Seungmin, and Jisung running, four followed them, leaving eight surrounding those left behind. Minho doesn’t have much time to consider this, as a lot happens at once. Firstly, their apparent leader tells the other’s not to follow, despite what their goal should have been- that was, getting Jeongin- because he now had a personal grudge against the one who tackled him to the ground.

At the very least, one could say their attackers were good at following orders, as the remaining eight don’t follow the group. That’s good, Minho knows it is, but it does leave him to defend two people against eight others, by himself. One of them, wielding a poorly-crafted sword, moves forward immediately, and Minho is quick to draw is own weapon, guarding. Behind him, he can hear Felix and Hyunjin get to their feet, and the former call out to Minho, asking what he should do. If he can help. Minho wouldn’t ask him to, since neither of the other two have an combat experience, presumably, but he wishes he could. He forces the first attacker back, only to find another taking their place. Minho moves to guard, only to find someone else- in the corner of his vision- moving to attack the other two. He stumbles back, takes a small injury on one his his arms in exchange for cutting down the third attacker.

A startled shout comes from either Felix or Hyunjin- Minho doesn’t have a chance to figure out who- as the third attacker hits the ground. Whatever trauma this may give them, it’s better than dying. Hopefully. Minho immediately turns back to the first of the attackers- one of three to be wielding swords- deciding he’ll be the easiest to deal with. Minho moves to strike, only to find himself stumbling back to narrowly avoid an ax to the side of his head. He stumbles into the two he’s protecting, and reconsiders his plan.

There are too many people, and too many angles for them to come from. Were they against a wall they might be trapped, but at least he could guarantee where he had to defend from. Grabbing onto one of them- Minho doesn’t look, but he thinks it’s Felix- Minho shoves them backwards, towards a building.

“Get against the wall-”

“But-”

“I’ll protect you.” Minho cuts off Felix’s argument, pushing them again, and ducking when one of the sword-users takes a sloppy swing at him. Some of their attackers seem more experienced than others, but he’s sure he can guard, at least, against them. However, he’s not so sure he can actually _stop_  them, by himself. How long could he keep up guarding them, even?

“Watch out!” Minho is forced out of thoughts by Hyunjin shouting. On instinct, Minho raises his sword to defend, and flinches at the force he’s hit with.

“Would you idiots just attack at once!” Their leaders shouting get’s more of their attackers moving, and Minho swears under his breath as he continues to move backwards.

And then one of their attackers hit’s the ground, being cut down from behind.

“Minho!”

“Jisung- what-”

“Later!”

“Right.”

 

Seungmin ducks into a building, with Jeongin and Woojin, startling the store owners. “Do you have a back exit?!”

“Uh- yes?!” Too surprised to respond otherwise, the shop keeper motions behind themselves, and the group heads for the exit. Footsteps follow them- less, now- as they stumble back outside. There’s only two following them, now. If any more were, before, they must have gotten distracted by Seungmin sending Jisung back for the others.

He couldn’t do it. Couldn’t just leave them to possibly die, and certainly not while Jeongin was actively asking him to send Jisung back. Woojin and Seungmin could keep Jeongin safe long enough to reach Chan. He believes that, really, and it’s too late to rethink that choice, now.

“Seungmin, the map?” Woojin turns to him, and Seungmin fumbles to unfold the map and read it, while they run. There had been a very brief- few word- exchange after they sent Jisung back, about what to do, and they decided to deal with the people following them, first a foremost. They couldn’t safely reach anyone else, like this, and they were too liable to get lost.

So, first, they needed somewhere they could stop long enough for Woojin to deal with their attackers. “We- uh- turn right?!”

Following Seungmin’s unsure instructions, Woojin takes a right, pulling Jeongin along with him. This leads the group to a dead-end alleyway. Despite expectations, this is exactly what they needed. Woojin turns around, pushing Jeongin behind him, and Seungmin rushes past Woojin to join Jeongin.

“Can you-”

“I’ll protect him, you worry about dealing with them.”

“Okay.”

Jeongin, out of breath, mutters, “you don’t have to talk like I’m not here,” but neither of them respond to that. Their attackers turn into the alleyway, seeming smug to have cornered the three. They really must not have much experience with this kind of situation.

 

It’s still a number of hours until they reach the meeting place, but Chan’s exhaustion is obvious to Changbin, even through his own. The other must have been awake, fighting, escaping, for far longer than Changbin had been, so he can’t imagine what a toll that’s taking. Despite this, Chan seems unwilling to so much as consider a break.

“If they get there, and we aren’t there, they might just leave.” His logic makes sense, but Changbin isn’t sure it's enough reason to run themselves into the ground. After all, even if Felix and his cousin don’t show up, that doesn’t affect Chan’s ultimate goal, really. They don’t even know if Minho will have any information that’s of use to them, let alone if Jeongin, himself, wont have already beaten them to the exit.

“Do you have any money, on you?” The question- seeming unrelated to the topic of resting- apparently catches Chan off-guard.

“Excuse me?!”

“Even underground, we have carriages, though you have to rent them. Nobody _owns_  them, except the people who run the business of renting them out. We can sort-of-rest, but still make progress, with one.”

“And risk drawing more attention?”

“So you’ll protect your prince while half-unconscious?” Changbin’s tone his harsh- confrontational- and Chan doesn’t respond immediately.

Then, after a moment, Chan shakes his head. “I don’t have funds with me.”

At that, Changbin starts looking through his own pockets. Hands the map off to Chan, while he does so, trying to figure out if he, himself, has money. There wasn’t much reason to carry any around, with him, while he was at work, but maybe- Changbin gives a small, “perfect,” when he finds a number of coins buried in one of his pockets. Likely meant to buy a small meal, before he headed home, but it would come in more handy now. It wasn’t enough to get them far- maybe to take the place of an hour of walking- but it was something.

“Okay, give me the map?”

“That’s enough?”

“For a small trip, yeah. Now I just need to figure out where we can get a carriage.”

“Is it even-” A pause, where Chan yawns revealing just how exhausted he must actually be- “healthy for horses to spend so much time underground?”

“For us, or for the horses themselves?”

“Either.”

“Probably not.” Changbin shrugs. “Someone else gets the job of keeping the streets clean, though, so there’s that.”

“I really could have lived without that knowledge.”

 

There were a lot of things that Felix had thought, about Minho’s job, when he found out Minho had become a guard in the neighboring kingdom’s capital. That it must be cool, that he must be pretty skilled, that being surface-side all the time must be _amazing_. None of the thoughts that crossed his mind had ever been about what his job actually meant. About needing to protect something- someone, in this case- and that it meant fighting or killing someone else.

Felix doesn’t have a lot of sympathy for their attackers, but that doesn’t make it any easier to watch Minho and Jisung fight- and win against, and kill- them. He’s probably dealing with it better than Hyunjin, though. If the fact Hyunjin has covered his face and turned away from the fight is any indication.

It’s sort of anticlimactic, honestly, when the second to last of their attackers is beaten- by way of sword to the chest- and the two turn to the attackers apparent leader. The man, in turn, moves to run. Despite his sudden- too late- realization that he’s outmatched, he doesn’t escape. Minho grabs him by one arm, and pushes him to the ground.

“Tell me whatever you know about who you were sent to kill.” Minho’s tone is starkly unfamiliar to Felix, and he’s faced with the realization of how little he understood about Minho and his job. Whatever response is given, Felix isn’t able to hear or take in, as Jisung turns to Felix and Hyunjin, asking if they’re okay.

“We- uh- we’re fine, I think.” Felix turns to Hyunjin, who nods.

“Yeah, we aren’t hurt.” Though the wording of the response get’s a frown from Jisung, the other nods. “Thank you for coming back for us.”

“Oh…” Jisung trails off, not looking at either of them. “I was told to, so you should thank Seungmin and Jeongin, really.”

“Oh.”

“Okay!” Minho returns to the group, and Felix tries really hard to ignore the obvious fate of their attacker. “What’s the plan, now?”

“We’ve lost a lot of time, with this, so we should keep heading towards the meeting spot. Hopefully we can catch up to the others, before then, since I don’t know if a map is going to be enough to guide them there in time.”

“Maybe someone should head the way they went, and the rest of us go another way, and meet halfway to the point we’re supposed to meet Chan. We just sort of have to hope we can find them, before then,” Hyunjin suggests, sounding unsure with his own words. However, Minho nods.

“How about we split this group in half. One guide for each half, just in case,” Jisung says, turning to Felix and Hyunjin. “One of you want to come with me? We’ll need to run.”

“Running is my least favourite activity.” Despite his words, Hyunjin steps forwards with a nod. “Okay, let’s go.”

“Right. Where should we meet you two?”

“Near the river!” Felix’s response is quick, the first place he thinks of. “It’s slightly off the path, but from there we can mostly to straight until near the edge of the city. We can meet at the river because it’s blocked off, but nearby should work.”

“Okay.” Hyunjin nods, while Jisung seems confused at the mention of a river. His confusion is pushed aside, however, and he and Hyunjin leave quickly after that, breaking into a run.

“If we go this way,” Minho motions to the left of them- the opposite way of where the other two went- before continuing. “We’re going to reach the river before they do.”

“We need to make a quick stop, so we wont.”

“We do?”

“We’ve been walking for half a day- some of them have been for longer- and there’s still nearly that long left. We need food- bread? Something we can carry and not worry about.”

“Oh, right.” Minho nods, at that. Felix wouldn’t doubt he had some form of rations on himself, since he came from the other kingdom, but that likely wasn’t enough for their entire group.

“Starvation on top of exhaustion really wont help.”

“Good point, let’s go, then.”

 

Despite all his complaining about breaks, and hesitation to take a carriage, Chan passes out nearly as soon as he’s off his feet. Changbin takes it upon himself to stay awake and watchful, in case, but he somehow doubts they have much reason to be concerned. They weren’t the targets for the people after Jeongin, and they didn’t know enough about where he was to be useful, anyway.

The ride is slow- the result of not having streets made specifically for the carriages- and more expensive than Changbin remembers, so they wont get as far as quickly as he thought, but they’re still moving, despite the rest, so he stands by the choice. Though he can’t help but wonder the conditions the others must be in, after their own amount of traveling.

 

Hyunjin is fairly sure he’s never been so out of breath in his entire life, but running after Jisung to try and find the other’s takes its toll on him quickly. He keeps up- just barely- but regrets the choice to be the one to go with Jisung. Why had he done that, again? Oh, right, because he was an _idiot_. The same reason he’d jumped at a clearly dangerous person, when they’d captured Felix.

He hasn’t had a great day, honestly. From his family’s inn burning down, to being attacked and nearly dying, to now feeling like he _is_  dying, it wasn’t going great. Still, he could have left. Could have chosen not to help, if he had actually wanted to. Part of Hyunjin wonders why he didn’t, why he’s still here. Another part, however, knows the answer to that is simple.

He would have felt guilty. If something terrible happened to the kingdom, and he could have somehow helped prevent it, he would have felt guilty.

 

Seungmin and Woojin debate circling back for their guides. Jeongin watches, silent, and feels entirely out of control of the situation. Seungmin had listened to him- sent Jisung back- but now that they were deciding what to do next, Jeongin wasn’t a part of the conversation. Not that he knew what they should do, anyway. He wanted to circle back for them, just because then he could confirm they were alive, but that wasn’t the goal. Their goal was to escape the city and the kingdom, and they might not have time for that, if they go back.

“If we go back, we’re wasting time.”

“And if we keep moving forward, even with a map, we have no idea what the best paths to take are. We could easily end up too far from the exit or with not enough time. Do you even remember where we’re supposed to go to meet Chan?”

“I have a general idea.”

“Still-”

“Guys?” Jeongin interrupts the conversation, cutting Seungmin off. “We should at least get back on a path in case they try to catch up with us.”

“Oh- right, you have a point.”

“Then we can keep moving, that way,” Woojin says, holding out his hand for the map. Seungmin nods, accepting this, and hands it over. Woojin takes to leading the group, and Jeongin and Seungmin follow after him, side-by-side.

“I still think we should-”

“Seungmin, please, this is too important to risk wasting our time.” Despite his words, Woojin’s tone betrays his own worry. Jeongin wouldn’t be surprised if part of the reason he didn’t want to go back is because he feared sending Jisung back was for nothing.

“Wasting our time,” Seungmin repeats, frowning.

“That’s not how he meant it,” Jeongin says, only for Seungmin to shake his head.

“I know that.” A pause. “What do you think? We didn’t ask you, did we?”

When did anyone, anyway? Jeongin shakes his head. What does he think? Though he knows they have a time limit, and that they’re at least a third of a day away from the cities edge, still, he can’t help but worry about leaving the others behind. Besides, they could end up losing more time, if they got lost, right? Or, maybe, Jeongin was using that as an excuse. Woojin could read a map well enough, and they had a least a few moments of peace, for now.

“Jeongin?”

“Huh? Oh, right…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should they **Circle Back** or **Keep Moving Forward**  
>  uh so this is one of the minor-choices. like it'll change some stuff, but nobodies going to, like, die because of this choice. 
> 
> whether in fiction or reality, getting chan to just /rest/ is a struggle, huh
> 
> Hyunjin's no-good-very-bad day is second only to Jeongin's no-good-very-bad week in which you know........he's the only survivor of an assassination.  
> maybe not a close second but-
> 
> i wrote this chapter while listening to dreamcatchers piri on repeat


	6. Continuing Forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was no guarantee they would find the others if they circled back, and then they would have wasted time for no reason. Despite what he wants to do, Jeongin says what he thinks is best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ao3 still refuses to automatically set the chapter update date to the day i add a chapter  
> ao3 please
> 
> anyway the majority vote was: continue forward!

“I think we should keep going.” Logically, Jeongin knows that’s their best option. There was no guarantee they would find the others if they circled back, and then they would have wasted time for no reason. Despite what he _wants_ to do, he says what he thinks is best. Seungmin frowns, but gives no argument, and nods.

“That’s probably… the better option.”

“Okay!” Woojin’s voice breaks the other two out of their conversation, reminding them he’s leading their journey. “I think we take another right, here, to stay off the main path.”

“Okay,” Jeongin says, following when Woojin turns. Seungmin follows, now a step behind Jeongin. When they end up back on a main path- market place visible a short walk away- Woojin comes to a halt. Seungmin mutters a curse under his breath.

“So, _off of the main path_ , huh?”

“Maybe we turned too soon?” Woojin frowns down at their map, and turns around to face the other two. “ _Definitely_ turned too soon.”

The group turns around, returning to the path they were on, and Jeongin reconsiders his thought process. Would they really be okay, on their own?

 

Even between Felix and Minho, they don’t have a large amount of funds. Felix didn’t typically carry money around on him while he was working, and most of Minho’s currency was from a different kingdom, entirely. As such, they locate the least expensive quantity of food they can find, ignoring quality. If everyone is as exhausted and starving as they reasonably should be, by now, they’ll deal with it.

With an armful of cloth-wrapped breads, Felix walks a step behind Minho, on their path towards the river. While the river was closed off to the public- a result of too many people not taking into account the source of the water, or what the water was primarily used for- they could still get fairly close to it. There’s a small path along the fence surrounding it, that leads straight towards their ultimate destination. Towards the cities exit. Of course they wouldn’t follow it all the way there, but it was the quickest- though most obvious- path there.

“Are we sure going such an obvious way is a good idea?” Minho asks, quietly. The question almost seems not to be directed to Felix, but the other answers anyway.

“They already found us- well, Jeongin- twice. I sort of doubt it matters, at this point. Isn’t the most important thing that the people who need to, escape?”

“ _The people who need to_ ,” Minho echos the words, frowning. He slows his pace, so he can face Felix while still walking forward. “What does that mean?”

“You know: Jeongin, his guards, Seungmin, you and Jisung. Everyone who needs to leave the underground city.”

“Felix, you know you should leave, too?”

“What? Why?”

“Because it might take a while for things to settle down, and you might already be a target.” Concern is obvious in Minho’s tone. Felix pauses, considering this for a moment. Had he already put himself at risk? Of course he had- the second he knowing offered help to the kingdom’s missing prince, he had. It was the same action that lead to his workplace burning down.

Finally, Felix mumbles a small, “oh,” as realization sets in. If he stays in the underground city, he’s going to continue to be in danger. Then again, where would he actually go, on the surface? Minho worked in the castle, so staying with him wasn’t an option, and they didn’t have any other family in the other kingdom.

“Felix?”

“You’re probably right.” Voicing those concerns would just add another worry to the dozen- hundreds, more likely- that they already have. So he doesn’t. “But, first we have to actually get to the exit.”

“Right.”

 

Somehow, despite his hesitance to rest in the first place, Chan is more difficult to wake than he was to get to rest in the first place. Still, Changbin drags the other to his feet, as their carriage ride comes to an end. They’re still a few hours away from their goal, but hopefully more aware, with their small break.

“Aren’t you supposed to be a prince's retainer? How can you be so lazy?”

“I’m _not_.” His response comes out annoyed, and Changbin just shakes his head in response. “If I was I wouldn’t be here.”

“Fair enough. We still have a lot of walking to go.”

“Lead the way.”

So Changbin does. Leads them down a back alley, on their way to their goal. There’s a small- abandoned due to structural issues- building that they can meet the others at without much worry. It’s close enough to the cities exit that once there, they shouldn’t have time be a concern, any longer. Still, that likely isn’t going to calm Chan’s clear worry about the safety of Jeongin. In fact, waiting without knowing if the other had escaped or not, was likely only going to worsen that. So, Changbin tries to think of something that would help.

Changbin isn’t really looking forward to being stuck with someone who’s so busy worrying, while he’s worried, himself. So, he speaks. “Hey, when we get there, I have an idea.”

“What’s that?”

“You stay at the meeting spot, to wait for Felix, and I’ll go ask anyone if they’ve seen anything strange.”

“Is that a good idea? What if they get suspicious?”

“Aside from people working for the one's who caused this, anyone else might assume I’m on that same side.”

“Huh.” A pause, where Chan seems to consider this. “If you’re careful, that might help us...”

“It’s settled, then.”

“Is it? But that’s still dangerous; it might be better if you don’t.”

“But if I could find something out?”

“Well…”

 

As a trained guard, dedicated to defending a member of the royal family, Jisung was prepared for most situations. However, all the running to try and find the others was beginning to get to him, and he was sure it must be worse for Hyunjin, who wasn’t trained for anything like that.

“Are there any-” a pause born out of a difficulty speaking, while running- “any paths that might be quicker?!”

“We-” another pause- “don’t know if they’ll be on those-” and another- “paths.”

“Right.”

“Do- do we really need to run the entire way? Wont- wont- uh- speed walking- work?”

Jisung nearly stumbles into a walk, at the question, and Hyunjin barely avoids crashing into his back. Jisung stops, just for a moment, and faces the other. Ignore that they’re both out of breath, from running since they left where they were ambushed.

“They might still be running.”

“Wouldn’t it be more dangerous for- for them to do that and- and get attention?”

He’s not wrong, which causes Jisung to pause, considering this. Continues walking, when he realizes that they’ve stopped, and turns away from Hyunjin once he’s sure the other is still following. “Maybe.”

“So- so they probably aren’t… running.”

“Fine, we can walk.” A second, then Jisung shakes his head. “Walk _quickly_.”

“I can do that.”

 

They are, most definitely, lost. Seungmin has absolutely no doubts about that, no matter how much Woojin tries to point out places on the map that they most likely are. Snatching said map out of Woojin’s hands, Seungmin looks over it himself, and comes to another conclusion. He has no idea where they are, either.

“Hey, Jeongin, you want to see if you can figure this out?”

“I don’t know how to read maps.”

“Okay- well- that’s another problem entirely.”

“I can read the map,” Woojin says, as he takes it back, “I just… don’t know where we started.”

“That’s so helpful.”

“I’m sorry, _your highness_ , was map reading a requirement for _your_ guards?”

“It was a requirement for __me__.”

“And yet you don’t know where we are either.”

“ _Guys_ , why don’t we just keep moving in that general direction.” Jeongin motions ahead of them. “We know the city ends in that direction.”

“Yes, but we don’t know where the others are headed, or where the specific exit we need to use, is.” Woojin’s words cause both Jeongin and Seungmin to frown. While they’re correct, they also don’t have much else to go on.

“It’s a start?”

“Fine, let’s keep going this way.”

 

In all honesty, Hyunjin expects it to take a while to find the others, if they can at all. Were it not for his still-burning lungs, he wouldn’t have suggested they slow to a walk, whatsoever, because of this. However when someone calls out to them, from _behind them_ , and it turns out to be he others when they turn around, it’s far _beyond_ what he could have expected.

How had they _passed_ them?

“What are you three doing there? How are you not further?!” Jisung rushes towards them. He not-subtly checks that Seungmin isn’t injured, while Woojin gives a look at shows he doesn’t want to answer.

“We are very lost,” Jeongin says, simply. “It’s good we found you.”

“You have no idea.”

“Here.” Hyunjin steps forward, motioning for the map. Woojin hands it to him without complaint. “We agreed to meet Felix and Minho near the river, and continue from there.”

“There’s a _river_?” Though the question comes out quietly, Hyunjin still hears it. He offers Jeongin a small nod, and points to a spot on the map. “We’re probably about here, so let’s head west.”

“How can you tell where we are?”

“Well we started-” Hyunjin shakes his head, cutting himself off. “I’ll explain while we walk, we’ve lost a lot of time.”

“Right,” Woojin agrees, quickly. “I’ll let you lead the way.”

With that, the group starts moving. Hyunjin leading, with Jisung still nearby, likely in case they’re ambushed again. Woojin follows at the back of the group, and Seungmin and Jeongin walk in the middle of the group.

“So, reading the map?” Seungmin asks, after a moment of silence.

“Oh- uh- so the different kinds of paths are drawn differently, right? Well, we started on a main path, near this residential area, here.” Hyunjin points to a spot on the map. “And we took mainly worker-alleys from there, so there weren’t many place we could have been.”

“ _ _What__ alleys?” Jeongin asks, clearly confused.

“Okay, so, there are a lot of different types of paths, but basically _worker_ -anything means they were built to make moving supplies easier, more than anything else. Then _civilian_ -anything means it was made primarily for people to get around. We were on a civilian path, and then went down mostly worker-alleys, so I could figure out where we were.”

“Oh. That makes sense.” A pause. “I think.”

“It’s simple once you’ve lived here a while.” Not that Jeongin ever would. Hopefully.

 

Minho and Felix wait a distance from each other, on the path near the river. They’re both still able to see each other, just barely, but they’re far enough apart to maximize the places the others can arrive at and still immediately locate them. It took what must have been a half hour, at least, to arrive, so they wait nearly as long before any signs of the others show up. Those signs really just being everyone else, themselves.

Everyone back together, they immediately set down the path, towards the edge of the city. Felix hands out bread, While Hyunjin leads the group. Once that’s done, Felix takes the map, and allows Hyunjin a moment of mental rest. They move in relative silence, most everyone eating- a small relief to their exhaustion- and not wanting to risk being distracted if something does happen.

“How long do we follow this path for?” Woojin asks, breaking the silence. There’s another, momentary silence, while those who know the city share looks. Then, finally, Minho speaks.

“At least four, maybe six, hours.” The words seem to weigh on the group. With them already lacking rest, and having been traveling for more than eighteen hours just counting what they all knew was shared between them. Some of them must have been up, and traveling, for longer than that even.

“There isn’t any other way to get there?” Jeongin asks, this time, his exhaustion clear in his voice.

“Not fast enough and without drawing extra attention, no.”

Their trip returns to silence.

 

Nearly half a day after they’ve left the inn, Chan and Changbin arrive at the place they’re meant to regroup with Felix- and his cousin, presumably- but all that really does is leave them to wait. They know even if Felix takes a quicker path, he’s not likely to arrive for at least another hour, more if he had to wait a long time for his cousin, so the two have time and nothing to do with said time.

Chan briefly considers going to check the exit they’re meant to take, but doing so might draw attention that would be a problem, later. So, he pushes that thought aside. Then there’s what Changbin suggested; that Changbin go ask if anyone had seen anything strange. It’s not a horrible idea- though it doesn’t help Chan pass his own time, waiting- but it comes with it’s own set of risks.

“Hey, so, about that idea-”

“About you asking locals about anything strange?”

“Yeah, that.”

“What about it?” Chan frowns at the other, who doesn’t seem particularly bothered by this.

“Should I go?”

Should he? If he found out some relevant, it could be a big help. But, then, if someone thinks his questioning is odd, it might bring unnecessary attention to them. They don’t know how long they have to wait, nor where anyone else is at this point, so doing so might ruin their ability to escape. Still, if there was some important information to gain from the locals, and they didn’t get it, it could be just as bad. Which was the worse risk?

“Honestly, I think…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should Changbin **Ask Locals about anything strange** or **Stay with Chan at the meeting place**?
> 
> uh i honestly don't have anything else for today's notes. if i missed any obvious spelling/grammar things pls tell me i barely slept bc apparently yelling while you know the other person in the house is sleeping is a PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE WAY TO GO ABOUT YOUR DAY (this is like a regular occurrence though idk why im surprised)


	7. Staying Put

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their escape is so close, that they can't take any unnecessary risks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Majority vote (100%) was for Changbin to Stay with Chan!

“Should I go?”

“Honestly I think… you should stay.” Changbin frowns in response to this, but Chan shakes his head and continues. “It’s too much of a risk. Any risk that isn’t necessary is too much.”

“Okay.” A pause, then Changbin points at Chan. “Then you should rest.”

“Huh?”

“If anything happens you’ll need to fight, right? With or without rest, I’m about the same, but you have an important job, right?”

The logic of Changbin’s words makes sense, but Chan hesitates to agree. Still, he had just said that any risk was more than they should accept, and him not being in the best possible condition to fight if that’s necessary is a risk. So, slowly, he nods. “Okay.”

“I’ll keep watch, and wake you when someone else get’s here.”

 

No person, in the world, should be forced to walk for so many hours without a break. Were he able to, Jeongin would tell everyone they _had_  to take a break. He can’t bring himself to do that, knowing what’s at stake if they don’t make the best possible time, but the thought runs through his head more than once. Food had helped- to some extent- but that was hours ago, now, and it didn’t undo the fact he’d barely stopped moving since leaving the castle.

The others, it seemed, weren’t in much better condition. The two leading them, had slowed in their walking, falling into step with the rest of the group. Woojin was almost definitely worse off than Jeongin, himself, though Jeongin doubts he’d admit it, in this situation. Those of them in the best condition- Minho, Jisung, Seungmin- were still showing signs of exhaustion, too.

Jeongin can’t help but wonder how they’re going to escape, in this condition. Surely they can take a small break, once they meet up with Chan, but would that be enough?

“Hey, Jeongin, you okay?” Seungmin asks, frowning at Jeongin. Jeongin, in turn, shrugs.

“Tired.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” Jeongin isn’t sure what other response to give. It isn’t as if knowing that will change anything, or that there’s anything any of them could do about it. They have to keep moving; it’s unavoidable.

“Well… just a few more hours.”

Jeongin nods, but he can’t help but think: that’s only if they succeed.

 

The four hours Minho predicted turn out to be only three and a half. The area near the meeting place is almost entirely abandoned- more buildings seem to have been abandoned, in addition to the one they expected- leaving nearby streets clear. Said clear paths allowed them a more direct route to the building than expected, and saved a significant amount of time.

So, the group arrives at the building in less than four hours, and find Changbin sitting watch near the entrance. Felix and Hyunjin immediately rush to Changbin’s side, while Felix can see Woojin and Jeongin make their way towards Chan, waking the other up. Everyone quickly exchanges words; questions.

“Wait- what are you two doing here?!” Is Chan’s immediate response, his confusion clear. “And who-”

“Hold on!” Seungmin cuts off any further discussion, among the group. “How about we just catch each other up, and then ask if anything needs clarified.”

So they do. Explain Seungmin, Minho, and Jisung’s presence. Explain them meeting up with Jeongin, Woojin, and Hyunjin. Explain- very briefly- about the ambush that delayed them.

“Okay, now that we’re all here… what do we do?” Woojin asks, as Hyunjin lays a map out between the group.

“Leave?” Jeongin’s response is immediate, but hesitant. Quiet.

“We need more of a plan than that.” Chan frowns down at the map. He points to one of the exits- the one they plan to take- and then traces a path back to the building they’re currently in. It's been a long time since he's been in the underground city- far longer than any of the others from there- so he doesn't trust his own knowledge of it, and asks, “if we take this route, how long would it be?”

“Fifteen? Maybe twenty, minutes?” Felix is the one to answer. “You’d go right through a populated area that way, though.”

“So, then?”

“What about the residential area just west of it?” Minho offers, pointing to the place in question on the map. “It’s a longer path, but it’s safer. Even with people there, they aren’t likely to have time to tell anyone about suspicious figures leaving the city.”

“I actually think we should split up, again,” Jisung says, gaining everyone's attention. The others confusion is clear on their faces, so he elaborates. Motions to himself, Minho, and Seungmin. “We should go back where we originally came into the city, and retrieve our horses. Then make our way towards where the rest of you will be leaving the city.”

“I don’t know if that arrangement is a good idea.” Seungmin’s response gets a deep frown from Jisung.

“The more people who know how to fight that go with Jeongin, the better,” Woojin says, simply. Seungmin nods, at this. “I do think someone should go get your horses, though.”

“Only one of the people who came in from there, has to go that way.” Changbin’s voice draws their attention, despite it’s lack of volume. He continues, louder, now that he has their attention. “Otherwise, you just need two more people, for each of the horses, right? Or, maybe, not even that, if you can lead them without someone riding them.”

“We’re too big a group, anyway, so more than one person should go,” Seungmin says. He pauses, seemingly in thought, but nobody else speaks. “Minho, why don’t you go?”

“Okay.” Minho nods.

“And, your cousin?” Seungmin turns to Felix, who’s startled by attention being on him. “Do you know how to ride a horse?”

“Sort of? Not really?”

“Oh.”

“Changbin does, right?” Felix turns to Changbin, who nods. Then to Hyunjin. “You do, too, right? Both of you have been surface-side, before, right?”

“Yeah.” Hyunjin nods, now.

“Then those two would be the better option. I can go with the main group, since you’ll need a guide, still.” Felix gets some sort of agreement from most of the others, though Minho frowns at him.

“Then we have our groups, right?” Chan confirms, with everyone. Only Jeongin seems to hesitate.

“I actually think we should make one change,” Jeongin says, speaking for the first time since they started the conversation. Everyone looks to him, surprised.

“What’s that?”

“I think Seungmin should go with the other group.”

“What?! Why should I?” Seungmin is the first to react, his confusion clear on his face, as if his words didn’t show it themselves.

“We need you to get out of here, just as much as I need to.” Jeongins words come out stilted, lacking force, but he continues despite this. “The second group is going to be less of a target, so you should go with them, while nobody knows who you are. That way, even if I fail to escape, your kingdom wont be affected.”

“But I-”

“And you're not such a good fighter that I need you.” Jeongin’s words would sound harsh, were they not so quiet. Instead, they just sound like he’s trying to convince both of them that this is the case. Seungmin hesitates, pauses, then nods.

“Fine. I’ll meet you outside, once you escape.”

So their groups are settled:

Jeongin would be accompanied by Woojin, Chan, Jisung, and Felix. While Minho, Hyunjin, Changbin, and Seungmin left back the way Seungmin had originally arrived. They would meet back up, again, outside of city, in the neighboring kingdom.

Each group takes a map, and they separate to discuss their escape paths. Then, within twenty minutes, the second group is ready to leave. Once they’ve left, the other group gathers together, and follow suit, in the other direction.

 

The longer route that the first group takes, is approximately thirty minutes to the exit, but they make it most of the way there without incident. Felix leads the group, walking quickly, mostly without looking at the map. The exit they’d chosen is near the west end of the city- though it’s not the one furthest west- and is barely used. It’s not near any market place, or anything that would normally invite visitors to the city, so the only people who typically use it are residents who don’t want to deal with the crowded nature of the other exits.

There are guards posted at it, and they can’t be sure if they’re still guards who followed the royal family, or if they’d been switched since the assassination. Felix leads the group to the side, behind a building, once they have the exit within sight, to decide what to do.

“There’s the exit.” Felix looks around the group. “Usually they don’t question people leaving, especially around here, but with- uh- recent _events_ , they might.”

“Then, what’s the plan?” Jeongin asks. At that, Felix doesn’t respond.

“We can force our way past,” Jisung says, though his hesitance to go with this method is clear. That would definitely draw attention, and they’ll have to run until they’re far enough out of the kingdom.

“We can distract them,” Woojin suggests. “Then Jeongin can sneak past.”

The specification that _Jeongin_  will sneak past, but not necessarily the others, makes both Jeongin and Felix frown. They share a look, having the same thought, but Jeongin looks away quickly. His face fills with an odd amount of guilt, likely realizing that how they feel about that suggestion wont change how accurate it could end up being.

“Jeongin needs the rest of you to go with him,” Felix says, finally. “But my job, here, is done.”

“What-”

“So I can do it.” Felix cuts off Jeongin’s words. “I’ll cause a distraction, and you can all go.”

“We can’t do that,” Jeongin says, quickly. “This isn’t your _job_. They all signed up for this kind of responsibility. You didn’t.”

But he _had:_ when he originally offered Jeongin help. Felix shakes his head. “It’s fine.”

“Minho wont be happy if we leave you behind, you know?” Jisung says, seriously. “You want us to explain to him that we just left you here?”

“You aren’t just _leaving_  me here. I’m choosing to do this.”

“If they realize what you’re doing, and attack you, you’ll die.” There’s a certainty to Chan’s words and fills Felix with dread, immediately.

“Then what would you suggest?”

“We create a distraction that works without any of us staying behind.”

“Like?”

“Like a fire,” Jisung says, getting everyone’s attention. “Let’s start a fire, and then go around to the opposite side of the exit. When they go to deal with it, we can escape. All of us.”

“Felix, you still have the map on you, right?” Chan asks. When Felix nods, pulling the map out, he continues, pointing at it while he speaks. “If we start a fire around here, to the west, and then go back around to the east-side of this exit, we should have enough time to make it out, without being noticed. The fire might take some time to get their attention, which is time we can use to get back in the first place.”

“You’re saying this as if you’ll be the one to do it.”

“Chan, you should stay with Jeongin, for sure. You’re the only one of us who’s really rested, so you shouldn’t leave his side,” Woojin states.

“Okay, fine. Then who is going to go?”

“I still can-”

“I’ll go with Felix.” Woojin’s words cut Felix off, and he narrows his eyes at Felix. “Okay?”

“Okay. Let’s go, then.”

“How long do you think this will take?”

“Not much time, why?”

“If we’re not back before the guards leave, go without us.” Woojin turns to the others, with that. Chan and Jisung nod, immediately, but Jeongin hesitates. Then, slowly, Jeongin nods, too, and breathes a sigh.

“Make it back before then.”

“I’ll try. If we don’t, we’ll escape later.”

Woojin and Felix leave, with that, and the others make their way around to the east of the exit.

 

The exit that the other group heads towards is a bit further, hence why they left sooner, but they arrive within a little over a half-hour. There are guards posted at the exit, but Hyunjin finds that he isn’t particularly worried. Seungmin hesitates, seeing them- apparently there are more than when he arrived- but follows when nobody else shares this hesitation.

“Is this going to be okay?” He speaks, quietly. Hyunjin, hearing him, gives a small nod.

“They’ll ask why we’re leaving, probably, but just follow my lead, okay?”

“Why, do you have a plan?”

“Yep.” Hyunjin smiles, trying to appear sure in himself. He walks a little quicker, to fall into pace with Minho. “Hey, can I-”

“Lead our conversation with the guards?” Minho shrugs, seeming unconcerned. “I heard you.”

“Oh.”

“Go ahead. If anything goes wrong, I think I can fight our way out.”

“Hopefully it wont come to that.”

“If it does, I’m running,” Changbin says, from a few steps behind them. Hyunjin finds himself laughing at that.

“Okay, good luck with that.”

When they approach the exit, one of the guards tells them to stop. They do, and wait while that same one approaches them. “What’s your trip out of the city for?”

“The city's pretty chaotic, lately.” Hyunjin breathes a sigh, shaking his head. “We’re going to visit family, and wait for whatever nonsense is going on in the capital to pass.”

“Oh, is that so? And why do those two have weapons?” The guard motions to Seungmin and Minho, the former of whom tenses. Minho seems more prepared for the question, and doesn’t react.

“This one,” Hyunjin puts a hand on Seungmin’s shoulder, “is really paranoid. Thinks bandits are going to take advantage of the chaos and be worse, between cities.”

“It’s a logical concern,” Seungmin says, sounding convincingly defensive. “Besides, he’s worried about it too, why just say me?”

“Because you're way worse.” Hyunjin shrugs.

“They’re both bad. As if they even actually know how to use their weapons,” Changbin adds, quietly. If Hyunjin didn’t know better, he would assume it was just a teasing comment between people who knew each other well enough to make it. Knowing better, he realizes it’s both to add to their story, as well as make the guard lower their guard, thinking the two with weapons don’t really know how to use them.

“We don’t have to.” Minho shrugs. “We just need them to think we would defend ourselves, to scare them off.”

“Sure, if they’re stupid.”

“Well,” The guard interrupts, shaking his head. “I guess you four can go, none of you look like anyone- uh- important.” _Important._ So they were looking for Jeongin. They really must have been assigned here, by the ones responsible for this whole situation.

“Well that’s a rude way to say it, but okay.” Changbin is the first to move, when the guard steps aside. Together, everyone makes their way through the exit- up the sloped hill that lead back above ground. There’s a tension, over the group, that comes with being so close to their goal, but knowing one mistake will instantly ruin it. Hyunjin holds his breath, as they approach the surface, and flinches as they step out of the underground city, and into the newly-rising sun.

Hyunjin has been surface-side before, alongside one of his parents each time, but he’s never felt quite so relieved to see the sky. He breathes a sigh, once realization sets in that they’ve done it. They’ve made it outside. Now they just have to meet up with the others and then-

And then, _what?_ Hyunjin hadn’t actually considered what he would do, now. Jeongin and Seungmin, along with their guards or retainers, would go to the other kingdom’s capital, but what about him? What about Changbin and Felix? They didn’t have anywhere to go, and weren’t important enough to have place in the neighboring kingdom’s capital. Not to even consider that his parents would return to the underground kingdom to find their inn gone, and their son missing.

Minho telling the group to follow him breaks Hyunjin out of his thoughts- he’ll have time for that later- and he follows. Minho leads the group to a small stable, where apparently his, Seungmin, and Jisung’s horses were being kept. There’s a short conversation between him, Seungmin, and the person running the stable, that ends with an exchange of the other-kingdom’s currency, and three horses being handed over- returned- to the two.

“Well, now let’s head for the others,” Minho says, as he mounts his own horse. Seungmin follows suit, and then motions to the last horse.

“One of you can take Jisung’s horse, and the other can ride with one of us, or you can ride together.”

Changbin is quick to move towards the other horse, leaving Hyunjin to make a choice. It isn’t a difficult one, and he follows after Changbin. With everything else going on, or that had already happened, Hyunjin was far more ready to spend his time with someone he’d already known, before this all started.

Once they’re all on horses, the group begin riding west, to where the others should be leaving from.

 

Felix would be lying if he said he didn’t feel bad, when he and Woojin start the fire. The building- an under-construction home- might not be in use, currently, but someones work and money were going to burn to the ground, because of them. Still, it’s surprisingly easy to get a hold of everything they need, due to the torches that light most parts of the underground city. Most buildings are stone on the outside, at least, but due to being unfinished, the building is made of almost entirely wood. Which means lighting it and running is an easy tasks.

In fact, it’s too easy- happens too quickly. Woojin pulls Felix to a stop, away from an alleyway, when the guards they were trying to distract come running by. They weren’t quick enough, going back to the others, and they share a look, debating what to do. They could continue towards their supposed meeting place, of course, but the others had promised to leave, with or without them, once the guards were gone. Then should they just head straight towards the exit, instead?

“What do we do?” Felix whispers, quickly. Woojin frowns, seeming in thought, and shakes his head.

“If they listened, they already left. So- maybe we should go, too? But if they didn’t yet, we might draw attention back to the exit, by running…” Woojin shakes his head, again. “I can’t think.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’ve been awake for a long time, sorry.”

“It’s fine. Maybe we should wait. Or go to a different exit, while they leave.”

“Someone might know who I am, because I’m Jeongin’s retainer.”

“Either way, we can’t stay here.”

“Right.”

Should they assume the others did what they said already? If they do, then the most logical choice is to just run for the exit, themselves. But if they others hadn’t, yet, that could cause bigger problems. Then should they try to leave from somewhere else, instead? Maybe even going to the meeting place, to assure the others had left, first, was a good idea? Felix huffs out a sigh, annoyed with his own non-stop thoughts. They had to make a choice, while they still had the chance to.

“Okay.” Felix turns to Woojin, fully. “I think I know what we should do.”

“And that is?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should they **Head of the Original Meeting place, Run for the exit,** or **Choose another exit?**
> 
> we're nearing the end, folks. maybe two or three chapters left? yeah.
> 
> *constantly separates the groups so it's easier to write.*  
> i had to open a notepad document to remember who was with what group bc im bad at remember groups of people


	8. Exit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They run.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The vote was a tie again, so i went with this.  
> edit: neither option voted for would have lead to bad-end stuff, so this was just the one i felt like writing ha

“Okay.” Felix faces Woojin, fully. “I think I know what we should do.”

“And that is?”

“Run. Let’s go to the exit. Even if they haven’t left yet- which they should have- they’ll see us and know to go. If they have already gone, we’ll probably run into them. Either way, we can’t stay here, right?” Felix pauses, while Woojin nods. “Besides, you want to make sure Jeongin is okay, don’t you?”

“Yeah.” Woojin nods again, turning to face the exit. “Okay, let’s run.”

“Okay.” Felix nods, despite Woojin no longer facing him. This has to be the best solution, right? Staying behind and hoping to leave another way was bound to be more difficult than it sounded, and if they went to the original meeting place, and the others had already left, that would cause the same problem. So, running for the exit. Felix is startled- broken from his thoughts- when Woojin turns to offer one of his hands.

“Together?”

“Right…” Felix hesitates, a moment, before taking Woojin’s hand. Together, they run towards the exit and hope.

 

Jeongin doesn’t want to go. He knows the guards have left, knows they don’t have time, but… he doesn’t want to leave Woojin and Felix behind. Doesn’t want to, but takes a step forward, anyway. Knows this is more important than what he _wants_. Pushes his feeling aside- he can deal with them when he’s safe, just like his feelings about what happened in the first place- and starts moving towards the exit.

Turns back, when he realizes Chan and Jisung are hesitating. Not enough that they don’t continue moving, when he looks back to them, but enough he notices. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Jisung’s response is immediate, but Jeongin can tell it’s not entirely true. Sees the frown on his face and knows.

“I’m just worried about those two,” Chan admits. Shakes his head, and steps forward, pulling Jeongin along. “But we have to go.”

“Right…” So they run. Jeongin follows, until he glances in the direction the guards went- worry and curiosity too much- and sees Woojin and Felix also running towards the exit. Relief fills him, and when he, Chan, and Jisung reach the exit first, he stops. Chan stumbles to a stop, next to him, and Jisung stops a few steps ahead of them.

“What?”

“Woojin and Felix.” Jeongin points in their direction, and Chan turns. Realization and relief fill his face, as they wait the short few seconds it takes for Woojin and Felix to reach them.

“Why are you three standing here?!” Woojin’s words come out rushed, and Jeongin wonders what must have been going through his head, that made him run to the exit. Had he expected them to leave him behind? (He wouldn’t have been wrong, though.)

“We saw you, and waited,” Jisung answers, while Jeongin is lost in thought.

“We should go.” Felix points to the exit. Towards the hill the leads up and out of the city. “Before the guards come back.”

“Right.” Jeongin nods, starts moving again. Woojin falls into step next to him, as he has for most of their journey. Jisung leads the group, ready to fight if their are more guards up surface-side. To Jeongin’s surprise, Chan runs beside Felix, asking if he’s alright. Jeongin just barely remembers that the two had known each other, before.

And, when they reach the surface- reach the late afternoon sky- Jeongin has never felt so relieved in his life. He’s made it. Just a few more steps, a short distance, and he’s in the neighboring kingdom. Has done what they’ve been trying to do this entire time. Can see, from where he stops, the sign marking the kingdoms exit.

Then, he registers that there are, in fact, guards there. However, there’s only two, who are entirely caught-off guard by the three of their group who were prepared to fight. He pointedly ignores their fate, when they hit the ground, having thought far too much about death over the past week.

“We made it,” Jeongin says, finally. Quiet, hesitant. “The other kingdom is… right there.”

“We made it,” Chan repeats, an agreement. “Now- Felix?”

Chan’s voice shows a distinct level of confusion. Jeongin turns, questioning what has caused Chan’s reaction. Only, he doesn’t have to. Felix grabs his arm- lightly, without a lot of force- and pulls Jeongin forward. The last few- ten, actually- steps past the sign are taken. Past the kingdom’s border.

“You made it.” The words are simple. Barely any different than what Jeongin, himself, had said a moment earlier. Yet, for some reason, they cause the actual truth of the statement to hit him.

If asked, Jeongin wouldn’t be able to give _one_ reason for his reaction. There are a lot. He has made it to the neighboring kingdom, doesn't have to worry he wont make it, anymore. He’d been running for a week, and suddenly he doesn't have to. His retainers have both made it. The people dragged along had most likely made it. Seungmin, and his guards, most likely made it, too. He doubts the others had any problems, and they are probably on their way, right now.

Jeongin is alive.

So Jeongin feels tears well up in his eyes, without wanting them to. Reaches up to cover his own face, while Felix panics, seeming to think he’d done something wrong.

“I didn’t mean to make him cry?!”

“It’s fine.” That’s Chan’s voice, Jeongin barely realizes. “I’m pretty sure it’s relief.”

“Now all we have to do is wait for the others,” Jisung says, just as Jeongin feels Woojin pull him into a hug.

“You okay?” Woojin’s voice is quiet, just loud enough Jeongin hears it.

“Yeah.”

And he is. Which is exactly why he can’t seem to _stop crying_.

 

Every moment of their journey to meet back up with the others, Hyunjin’s thoughts betray him. Fill with his worries about what happens after this is over; after they reach them. He must be obvious, in his low mood, because Changbin elbows him, and turns to frown at him.

“It’ll be fine.” Despite his words, Changbin sounds just as worried as Hyunjin feels. Must be having similar thoughts.

“For them, maybe.” Hyunjin’s words are muttered, not wanting to be heard by the two ahead of them. Changbin shakes his head, but doesn’t actually argue.

“It’s almost over.”

“Right…”

 

Reaching the others takes longer than Minho would have liked, but they reach the exit their are meant to have left through, and sees them standing in a group just past the border. Seungmin is the first to call out to them, rushing forward and jumping off of his horse as soon as he reaches them.

Minho isn’t far behind, either. Greets Jisung, first, who quickly fills him in on what they’d gone through in their escape. Then, he turns to find Felix, who offers him a weak smile in greeting. He frowns, at that, but shakes his head. At least he’s safe.

“So,” Changbin starts, as he and Hyunjin finally join everyone else, “we finally made it.”

“We did!” Jeongin responds, sounding for once like he isn’t one step away from having a breakdown. Minho hadn’t noticed how strained Jeongin’s words had been- before- until now. Should have, since it wasn’t surprising, but hadn’t.

“Now,” Seungmin starts, “we just have to go back home.”

“ _You_ have to go back home,” Chan corrects. “Most of us are visiting, actually.”

“Either way!”

“We don’t… have to make the entire journey right now, do we?” Jeongin asks, seriously. Seungmin shakes his head, laughs.

“No; we can stop at the first town on the way, so you can rest.”

“Thanks.”

Conversation- idle, lighter in tone than any conversation they’d had since meeting up the first time- follows as everyone moves towards one of the horses. Seungmin pulls Jeongin towards his own, without room for argument. Changbin hands Jisung back his horse, only for Jisung to pass it on, telling Chan and Woojin to take it.

“I can ride with Minho.” Minho, himself, raises an eyebrow at that, but Jisung shrugs. “Can I not?”

“No,” Minho says, joking. “Yeah, fine, alright.”

It’s only once Seungmin and Jeongin are settled, that Minho realizes the remaining three haven’t moved. Are standing together, to the side, watching the rest of them. Minho turns towards the three- as Jisung mounts his horse- frowning.

“What are you standing there for?”

“We…” Felix pauses, turning towards the other two. There seems to be some sort of silent communication between them, before Felix continues. “Our jobs are done?”

 

Seungmin was preoccupied with checking on Jeongin. Now that they’ve made it- basically made it- he’s sure the reality of everything that has happened must be hitting him. Can’t imagine it, but knows that whatever Jeongin’s feeling is probably a _lot_.

However, he can still hear the others talking. Still catches enough words to know what’s happening. And still notices when Minho- and everyone else- are forced to realize what the three from the underground city must be thinking. Turns to face them, and speak before Minho gets the chance to.

“What are you talking about?”

“Our- we lead you guys to the exit? Our job is done.”

“So you don’t need us to go with you, anymore.” Hyunjin’s addition does nothing to change anyone’s reaction to Felix’s initial words. Changbin nods, supporting their statements. All anyone else can do, for a moment, is stare.

And then Jeongin is jumping off of Seungmin’s horse, and storming over to the three. “What’s wrong with you?!”

“Wh-” Changbin’s words are cut off by Jeongin grabbing the nearest to him- Hyunjin- and pulling him towards Seungmin and their horse. “Hey-”

“You’re all in danger if you stay here. Who care if _we_  need _you_? You already- I owe you all- you should get somewhere safe, too, until I can make it safe for you to return.” Seungmin has known Jeongin since he was a child. (Since they both were children.) Their kingdoms have always been on good terms. But while Jeongin had always known he was the crown prince of his own kingdom, and thus would inevitably take over, he’s never _acted_ like it. Seungmin is pretty sure _he’s_  always been the more direct, forceful, between the two of them. But, for once, Jeongin’s words- his tone- have a force behind them that he would expect from someone meant to lead a kingdom.

“But we don’t have anywhere-” Felix, this time, is cut off by Minho grabbing his hand and pulling him towards his own horse.

“Stop that. You can come stay with me, obviously.”

“I can’t just leave,” Hyunjin says, as Jeongin pulls him a stop, next to Seungmin. “My parents are…”

“Your parents will be in more danger if you return,” Seungmin says, seriously. Hyunjin turns to him, wide-eyed, before looking back to the ground. “We’ll see what we can do, for them, okay? But you staying here is just asking for something bad to happen.”

“Okay.”

With Hyunjin’s acceptance, and Felix seeming unable to argue with his cousin, eyes return to Changbin. Who remains standing there, hesitant. He faces Chan and Woojin, briefly, before quickly averting his eyes to stare off towards the underground city.

“Changbin,” Chan starts, but Changbin shakes his head before he can continue.

“Please nobody drag me towards a horse. I get it- I do- but where are me and Hyunjin actually supposed to go?” His question gets a surprised silence. “Felix can go with Minho, that makes sense, but we can’t go to the _capital_ , we aren’t-”

“Yes you can.” Seungmin narrows his eyes at Changbin, as he speaks. “I’m inviting you both, okay? There, now you can come to the capital.”

“Oh.” Changbin seems at a loss.

“So?” Chan motions him towards himself and Woojin. “I think I owe you for both the carriage and standing guard while I rested.”

“As if I could have done anything if someone had shown up,” Changbin rolls his eyes, but move towards the other, anyway.

“We should probably get more horses,” Jisung says, once everyone has mounted their respective horses. “The poor things are going to have to make the whole journey back to the capital, and with three people each?”

“They’re _horses._ ” Minho shakes his head.

“So?”

“They’re for the royal guard; they were bred for worse.”

“Have you no sympathy, Minho?” Felix pokes Minho, in the arm, and Minho turns to glare at him.

“They were literally made for this!”

“Anyway,” Seungmin starts, cutting off further conversation. “Let’s go? We can stop at the first town, and get an actual nights rest, before we go the rest of the way.”

“Okay.”

“And get at least one more horse, maybe. Unlike Minho, I’m very sympathetic.”

“I hate you.”

“I’m your boss, you can’t say that to me.”

“Technically I can.”

 

The group arrive at the first town with varying levels of exhaustion, to find guards- from Seungmin’s kingdom- waiting for them. Saying that they were sent to wait, with the expectation Seungmin would return alongside Jeongin, and their retainers. They eye the unexpected additions to their group, but Seungmin gives no chance for them to question it.

“We’re going to rest, here, until tomorrow.”

“Your highness, you should really return home-”

“Jeongin has been traveling non-stop for the past week, and the rest of us for the past few days. We’ll return _tomorrow_.”

“And your-” a glance- “guests?”

“Will come with us.” Seungmin nods, emphasizing his statement. Refusing to take any argument with it. Then, he turns to the group. “For now, everyone want to get some _rest?_ ”

“Yes, finally.” Jeongin nods, slowly, reactions delayed.

 

They had done it. Escaped the underground city, and the kingdom in turn. Now the just had to deal with what came next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey look  
> the end  
> which means, no voting.  
> There'll be an epilogue, obviously, bc i can't just /not/ talk about what happens next, especially with some of them. 
> 
> I honestly can't think of a bonus chapter for this story, though, so that might be it?
> 
> i'll talk more about potential next stories, in the notes next chapter, but I was thinking of doing something with lives at stake? like.......romance?  
> EDIT: WITHOUT! Without lives at stake.  
> maybe go back to astro, or choose another group. since i have a stray kids series also going right now.
> 
>  
> 
> oh yeah also for some reason i wrote a 17k oneus story before writing this chapter.  
> i have no excuse.


	9. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After they've escaped, a lot changes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's the end, for real.  
> and pretty long

Things are far more complicated, upon reaching the other Kingdom’s capital. Though the royal family gives Jeongin refuge, that still leaves him- along with Woojin and Chan- to figure out how to go about removing those currently in power over Tysas from said power, and put Jeongin on the throne.

However, being well-rested- and while pushing thoughts about what has happened aside- Jeongin comes up with a plan. One that, in contrast to the simplicity of the plan that was _escape the kingdom_ , is far more complicated, yet goes far more smoothly. Tysas' royal family was- is- after all, fairly well liked, all things considered. As such, inciting a counter coup is easier done than said.

After six months, Jeongin is back in Tysas' capital, being crowned the _king_ , and pretending to be happy about that.

“You okay, Jeongin?” Woojin asks, one day, as Jeongin sits in the study that had formerly been his father’s.

“Yeah, of course.”

“Jeongin,” Chan starts, frowning at him from across the room. “It’s okay if being home is difficult.”

Jeongin stares at his hands, for a moment, then shakes his head. Doesn’t look up, as he speaks. “It’s weird, more than anything. After- because of what happened.”

 _What happened._ Jeongin hasn’t had much of a chance to think about it. To mourn. But, all at once, the reality of the past six months of his life hit him. And before he knows it, he’s crying again.

“Jeongin.” He isn’t sure which of them is talking to him, just that their tone is soft, gentle.

All he can say, in response, is a small, “it’s just _me_ , here.”

Neither of them know how to respond, to that. A simple, “we’re here for you,” only goes so far. While they say so, regardless, they know that isn’t what he meant.

 

The underground city has been cleared of the results of the fights from six months earlier, and the buildings have been demolished and are starting to be replaced. Letters had been sent to the city- in hopes of reaching Hyunjin’s parents- during those six months, but he has no idea if they made it, when he returns. No idea where his parents actually are. So he returns to the place where their inn was- a new building, with no signs marking what it is stands in its place- and heads inside. Maybe someone will know.

What he’s faced with, instead, is a member of his inns old staff, moving boxes into a back room. They turn, when the door opens. Move to speak, only to realize who Hyunjin is, and drop the box in realization. Then, at once, they call out his parents name, towards the back. They- his parents- rush through a door and Hyunjin, himself, rushes to their sides just as quickly.

“What happened to you?!” Their words get a seconds pause, before Hyunjin starts to explain. He has a lot to tell them, honestly.

 

Minho insists Felix stay with him. Felix does, for a time, enjoying being outside of the underground city. Still, it feels weird. To be doing nothing, while his cousin is more often than not working as a guard for days at a time. Working in the castle for that time. Felix could be there, too, technically. Has been offered a job on staff, there. But it feels odd, somehow. Wrong.

He realizes, nearing the end of his sixth month living in Minho’s nearly-empty home, what it is. He liked Tysas, even if the underground city was often suffocating. Most of the people he knew were there, too. Hyunjin and Changbin had gone back, and while Minho _is_  his cousin, he’s also hardly around. Seungmin was far too busy being royalty, and Jisung worked as often as Minho did, leaving Felix with no one around, really.

So, with three days warning, Felix makes the trip back to Tysas. Minho offers to make the trip with him, but Felix knows the other is _supposed_  to stay in the capital unless Seungmin leaves it, so he refuses. Makes the journey back on his own- or, rather, with only a carriage driver as company, since Seungmin heard he was heading back and taken care of said service for him.

 

Changbin had only recently joined the inn staff, when the whole _burning it down to weed out the prince_  thing happened. As such, he didn’t have such a strong attachment to it that it necessarily made sense for him to go back. In fact, he considers finding another job, even after Hyunjin tells him the inn is back and running, again. Yet, for some reason- maybe, he considers, it’s the bond of having both been a part of such an event- he goes back.

Returns to the inn, and tries to return to normal life. Except… he finds he can’t focus on his work. Hyunjin is the same, he notices. Neither of them address it, for a number of days, but something’s changed. Something was indisputably different about working at the inn, now, and the staff that hadn’t returned- Felix included- only made that worse.

“Do you think,” Changbin starts, one day while they’re both taking a break, “that Jeongin is doing okay, with his new position?”

“The king,” Hyunjin correct, halfheartedly. They weren’t in a position where they should refer to him so casually, even if they had, before. When they were all just trying to escape.

“Yeah, whatever, do you?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you think Felix is going to come back?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you even want to be here?”

“I don’t-” Hyunjin stops, cutting himself off.

“Know?”

“That was the most awful day of my life. Two days? How long did we walk for- no, it doesn’t matter.” Hyunjin shakes his head. “Coming back here, acting normal, it feels _wrong_.”

“So it’s not just me.” Changbin sighs, relived. “I think I’m going to quit.”

“What?”

“I just think it’s working here feels _too_  normal. If I had- I don’t know- a new job it might be different.”

“I see.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I agree- feel the same way. But I can’t…”

“Yeah.”

“Unless it was a job that was already waiting, my parents-”

“I understand, Hyunjin. I’ll visit, okay?”

“Okay.” A pause. “Thank you, Changbin.”

 

Minho has been writing letters, a lot. Jisung doesn’t know what they’re about, but he can assume they’re addressed to Felix. However, Minho hasn’t actually been sending them. When Jisung asks him, Minho simply says he doesn’t know where to send them too, and Jisung realizes the only thing Felix told them was that he was going back to Tysas, not what he would do once he was there.

Things have returned to relative normalcy. There was a short time, a month ago now- right when Jeongin was meant to be crowned- that Seungmin had mopped around the castle, upset that he couldn’t go back to Tysas for the event. However, that’s passed now. If he was honest, Jisung had been upset, too. After everything they did to make sure Jeongin made it to that point, not even being able to see it felt, well, disappointing.

“Seungmin is trying to arrange a trip to Tysas, again.”

“What’s his excuse for that?” Jisung asks, as he and Minho stand guard outside of the meeting hall in which Seungmin is talking to his parents.

“Anniversary. He’s giving himself five months to convince Their Majesties, apparently, and using it being a year since- well- that _whole thing_ as the reason.”

“A year.” Jisung pauses, thinks about it. It hadn’t felt like seven months, already. Felt like just a few days ago they were escaping the underground city.

“I wonder if he’ll take us, again.”

“Who else would he take?” Jisung frowns at Minho. “We already know some of Tysas' layout.”

“Wow, already thinking of excuses why you should go?”

“No.” Jisung manages to remain straight-faced for all of six seconds, while Minho narrows his eyes at him. “Fine, _yes_. Can you blame me?”

“No, I want to go too.”

“Guys!” Seungmin shouts, as he pushes the doors open. Minho and Jisung both jump, spinning to face him. “They agreed!”

 

 _“Chan, I’m entrusting you with a very important task,” Jeongin says, seriously. Chan just nods, waiting. Considers reminding Jeongin that_ all _of his tasks were important, being recently made Jeongin’s adviser instead of retainer. “I need you to deliver a letter. Well, a few letters.”_

_“I’m not a messenger?”_

_“You and Woojin are he only ones I would trust with this, and… well, honestly, I think Woojin would try to talk me out of it.”_

_“Alright, who are the letter’s to?”_

There are three letters. Each says something similar, but they’re all different, writen specifically with the recipient in mind. Chan knew the general idea displayed on all of them, and he can understand why Jeongin thought Woojin would try to talk him out of it. Didn’t think that was actually the case- figured Woojin’s thoughts would be similar to his own- but goes anyway.

His first stop is the easiest. The first recipient the easiest to find. The newly built inn, replacing the one that had burnt down, is nice. It’s the newest, nicest, building in the rows of buildings surrounding it, which isn’t a surprise. Jeongin had specifically hunted down the owners to repay them, feeling it was his fault it happened.

When Chan enters the building, the only familiar face is someone he knew from when _he_  lived in the underground city, and not anyone he’s looking for. Still, he asks them for the person he is looking for. “Is Hyunjin here?”

“Oh, uh, I don’t know. I can check?”

“Would you?” A nod, and they’re gone into the back. Chan looks around, meaning to compare the interior to what he remembered, before realizing he’d never actually _seen_  the front of the inn.

“Chan?” The surprise in Hyunjin’s voice is obvious. Chan turns to face him, offers a smile, and then offers a letter.

“A letter, from the king himself.”

“What an honor.” Though he’s joking, Hyunjin takes the letter with a surprising amount of carefulness. “What is it about?”

“An offer. You should read it.”

 

The first few lines of the letter are greetings. All hoping Hyunjin is well, repeating thanks’ he’d given over and over again already, before moving onto the actual purpose of the letter.

An offer, as Chan said. One to work in the castle. The offer is punctuated with explanations. What his job would be, the reason Jeongin is asking him- a lack of trust in newly appointed staff, due to what happened to the rest of the royal family- and a very honest admission to genuinely wanting to see him- as well as the others- again, and more often.

“So?” Chan asks, pulling Hyunjin’s attention away from the letter.

“I-” Hyunjin’s immediate response is a _yes_. Is agreeing, and of leaving right away. But after everything else that happened…“I need to talk to my parents.”

“Understandable. I’ll be around a few more days.”

“You have letters for the others, too, right?”

“Yeah.” Chan nods, after a moment of surprise. “You wouldn’t happen to know where Changbin and Felix are?”

“Changbin is working in the market, nowadays. And Felix…” Hyunjin pauses, frowning. “He returned a few weeks ago, but I haven’t seen him since. I think he’s staying in another part of the city.”

“Okay.” Chan mirrors Hyunjin’s frown. “Thank you.”

 

Felix has made eight different stops, since returning to the underground city, but none of them have lead him to staying there. Eventually he plans to return to the inn, had told Hyunjin as much, but he couldn’t stay idle, at the moment. Wanted to be doing something _important_. So he’s taken to helping fix damages caused by those responsible for _that event._ (As well as his own act of arson._

Though... he’s running out of work to do, when it comes to that. Thinks he’ll return to the inn, soon. Only really wants to because of the familiar people, rather than the job itself. In fact, he’s sure if he could, he’d do something else. Working there, he’s sure, will just remind him of _that event_.

Despite his hesitation, Felix decides to start making his way back across the city. This time in no rush.

 

“You invited all of them to work here?” Woojin’s voice holds the sort of disbelief a parent might, upon hearing their child did something not _bad,_  but ridiculous.

“Yes. I can do that,” Jeongin defends. A reminder of his position, though, has no affect on Woojin, who’s known him far too long. And they both know it doesn’t.

“You can, but is that a good idea?”

“I was going to offer them- uh- higher positions, but I thought you’d definitely talk me out of it.”

“I would have.” Woojin breathes a sigh. It isn’t like he doesn’t understand the logic Jeongin argues, for the choice. It has been difficult to trust anyone, recently, and having people around who had already proven they could be trusted was a positive. That, and though Jeongin doesn’t say it, he likely thinks it will help his mental state, to have them around.

“So?”

“So; I can’t change your mind.” Woojin shakes his head, reconsidering the statement. “I don’t think it’s a _bad_  idea.”

Jeongin’s face lights up. “Good!”

“Yeah…”

 

Changbin is easy to find, too, once Chan knows where he is. Hyunjin even helps by talking him to the specific market place Changbin works at. He’s there, talking to a customer, when they arrive. So they wait until said customer has gone, before calling out to him. Changbin looks up, sees who they are, and immediately rushes around the display he works out, running up to them.

“Did something happen?!”

“No, no,” Chan dismisses, and relief fills Changbin’s face, immediately. “I have a letter for you.”

“Are you a courier now?”

“No, just for you three.”

“Us three?”

“The letter will explain, right, Hyunjin?”

“Yeah.” Hyunjin nods, motioning for Changbin to read the letter. He does, slowly showing realization, and then he looks up at the two of them.

 

Changbin processes the words of the letter slowly. Has a hard time believing it, until he looks up at the other two. Neither show any signs that this is some sort of joke- and there was no way Chan would have come all this way if it were- so he’s forced to realize it’s real. The offer is real.

And he wants to take it.

Still, Changbin focus his attention to Hyunjin, a silent question hanging in the air. Is Hyunjin going? “I don’t know what I’m going to do, yet.” Hyunjin answers the unasked question, and Changbin nods. Turns his gaze back to the letter. Then looks to Chan, again. The other is silent, waiting. Changbin pauses, looks between Chan and the letter one more time, then decides.

“I’m going.”

“You’re sure?” Chan asks, quiet.

“Yes.” Changbin nods, folds up the letter. “When do I need to be ready?”

“I leave in a few days. If you choose a meeting place, I can come get you when it’s time.”

“Okay, how about the inn? I know for sure you know where it is, and I assume we’re leaving out of the city on that side, this time.”

“Sounds good.”

 

Seungmin writes and sends out a letter as soon as he knows the trip is going to happen. A warning five months in advance, sure, but one he doesn’t see the point in delaying. He receives a response, shortly after, and a few days after that, a letter explaining Jeongin’s plan of offering jobs to the three that helped them escape. Responds to that, positively, for what might honestly be selfish reasons.

If they’re all there, then he’ll be able to see them, too, when he visits. (It was impressive, really, how quickly he became fond of them.)

 

When Felix returns to the inn, ready to return to work, Hyunjin is nowhere to be fond. His parents say he left to see Changbin, and Felix considers going to the market he knows Changbin works at, but doesn’t. Stays put, and offers to start working, immediately. However, Hyunjin’s parents share a look, and tell him that he doesn’t need to do that. Says they’re fine, for the day. Don’t have many guests.

It’s odd. Felix knows it’s odd, but he can’t for the life of him figure out what might have caused it. So he puts his stuff in the staff room, where he would stay when he returned to work, and waits.

 

Hyunjin directs Chan to a room in the inn, before heading to the back rooms. Searches for the letter- he’d left it behind, not seeing a reason to take it with him- to show to his parents when he explains the situation to them. It would be understandable, if they weren’t eager to have him leave. After their inn burnt down, and he disappeared without them knowing where he was or if he was alive, wanting him to stick around would make sense. And he’d do so, too, because he understood. Had spent months unsure if they would return home only to be captured or worse.

But he also wants to go.

His parents are in the kitchen, when Hyunjin enters, at a loss for where the letter went. In the kitchen, and his mother is holding the letter in her hands. They’re talking; quiet murmuring that halts when they notice him. And Hyunjin stands there, unable to speak or move, because they must already know what he’s going to say.

“Hyunjin, do you want to go?” It’s a simple question. There’s no unsaid warnings or judgments. No silent signs that he should say no, or lie. So he doesn’t.

“Yes.”

 

Someone knocks on his door. Chan startles, before assuming it’s Hyunjin or another staff member, and moving to open the door. When he does, he’s surprised to be faced with Felix, who looks as confused as he feels.

“Felix?”

“Chan?” Felix shakes his head. “No, sorry, I was told to see if the guest in this room needed anything.”

Chan nods, processing what must have happened. “Actually, I want to talk to you.”

“Okay?”

Another letter handed over. Felix, unlike the other two, doesn’t ask what it is. Just opens it, reads, and remains silent for a moment.

“Did the other two agree?”

“Changbin did. Hyunjin… wanted to think about it.”

 

Felix could have worked in another castle. In the one his cousin worked in. In the one where Seungmin was the prince, and had offered him a job only shortly after he’d arrived. Before the six months it took to get Jeongin back home. However, he wouldn’t have felt right there. And it wasn’t the job itself that was the problem.

So it’s not the job, that causes his hesitation. Nor is it the job, that causes his decision. “I’ll take the offer. It is from the king, after all.”

Chan laughs, nods. “It is.”

It’s not the job that Felix is thinking about, though. It’s the fact that it’s a job in Tysas, and someone he knows will be at his side. Maybe more than one person. Who wont be preoccupied with a job too important for Felix to know anything other than what it is.

 

 _“If this is what you want, you should go.”_  The words were so simple, accepting. They must have talked about it, accepted it before talking to Hyunjin. He returns to his room, without much else said, considering their words. Considering their acceptance.

And then, an hour later, Felix rushes into his room, letter in hand. “You should go, too.”

“What?”

“To the castle. Let’s all go, together.”

“I-” Hyunjin laughs, shaking his head- “I was already going to agree.”

 

When Chan returns to the castle, it’s with three others at his side. The rest of the staff react with suspicion, confusion, up until Jeongin runs down to greet all of them. Woojin trails behind, shaking his head, as Jeongin asks if this means they all agreed. And, when they say yes, Woojin turns to the nearest member of their staff, telling them to get three new staff members places ready.

The adjustments from working in a small inn- or marketplace- to working in a castle take a while. But, over five months, the three find solid positions in the castle.

“One of you, I need more staff in the kitchen.” Another staff member calls, and Changbin grabs Felix, stopping him, when the latter takes a step towards the kitchen.

“No, you were banned from the inn kitchen for a reason,” Changbin says, simply. “I’ll go. You focus on preparing for our _guests_.”

“Fine.”

“Speaking of guests,” Hyunjin starts, as Changbin leaves. “Do you think he’ll bring the same two guards?”

“I hope so.” Felix’s admission comes with no hesitation. “It’d be nice to have all of us in the same place, and not have the risk of death hanging over our heads.”

“We did for a few months.”

“Debatable. I still thought we were going to die.”

“Oh, I thought it was just me.”

 

Seungmin, Minho, and Jisung arrive just days before what would be the anniversary of Jeongin’s escape. (Which _is_ the anniversary of the royal families assassination but nobody- especially not Jeongin- wants to talk about it.) During dinner, that night, Seungmin almost literally drags the three familiar staff-members away from their jobs, and forces them to sit at the table, with himself and Jeongin. To which the uninformed of the staff are bewildered, to say the least. And, then, he tells Minho and Jisung to sit as well.

Then, there’s a moment of silent awkwardness, before Jeongin laughs. Then, he turns to Chan and Woojin- each standing by, as they usually were- and motions to the many empty seats at the table. “Well? Come on, it’s a reunion.”

The nine of them catch up. A year has passed far too quickly, and they all have far too many responsibilities to just sit down and talk to each other, more often than not. So it’s nice, they would all agree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and then they get together at least once a year, yeah.  
> I usually have more to say, but i've got nothing.
> 
> I JuST REALIZED THIS STORY HAS 9 CHAPTER TOO  
> nice
> 
> EDIT: so last chapter at the end notes i meant to say "something _without_ lives at stake next"  
> i'll definitely come back to the life-risking stories no doubt, but i wanna try this format with something lights. blah  
> i should stop updating when im tired

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are always greatly appreciated!


End file.
